Two police officers die from the explosion of a backpack in Oviedo after a shooting and the perpetrator is still at large and armed

The explosion of a backpack in a doorway in Oviedo this morning resulted in the death of a national police officer from the Canine Guide Unit and an agent specializing in explosives disposal (Tedax). This last agent suffered the amputation of a leg and later died in the hospital where he was admitted. The events occurred in a portal on Rafael Urrusti Street, in the Villafría neighborhood (Oviedo).

The agents had been deployed to the area after a previous alert for a shooting that occurred after 7:00 a.m., in which a 17-year-old girl was injured, who is seriously injured in the hospital.

Upon arrival, they saw a backpack half open with a blinking light, according to police sources telling EL MUNDO, so they notified the Tedax. A canine guide sub-inspector came to check it and at that moment it exploded, causing his death. The Tedax companion who was with him was injured and was taken in serious condition to the Central University Hospital of Asturias where he finally died.

The explosion occurred at 9:00 a.m., in one of the portals on Rafael Urrusti Street. The investigation is now focused on determining whether the previous shooting is related to the detonation of the backpack and also on knowing the causes that caused a man, who remains on the run, to open fire on the teenager.

The shooter has a history of common crime. Specifically for a crime of theft, the same sources consulted report. After shooting and leaving the backpack with the explosives in the doorway, he fled in a high-end vehicle and was "possibly" armed with a short and long weapon, so investigators consider the escape "high-risk."

The Police have established a search perimeter throughout the city and the accesses to try to find him and arrest him.

The mayor of Oviedo, Alfredo Canteli, heads to the place to gather information given the confusion that still exists about what happened.

The National Police, which has reported that it is a "serious incident", has deployed an extensive operation in the area, which has been cordoned off.

The agents went to a home after receiving a tip related to a young woman who had been shot and whose father was trying to take her to the hospital. Upon arrival at the property, the police located a backpack in the doorway that contained an explosive device, which ended up detonating and causing very serious consequences for the police.

The Jupol union wanted to express "its deep pain and dismay at the death of the agent. The union conveys its most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased agent, sharing the pain of the entire police family in the face of an irreparable loss."

"From the union we transfer all our strength and support to our colleagues and their families in these extraordinarily difficult times," they indicate.