Man kills two grandchildren and dies by suicide in Granada

A 72-year-old man has killed his two grandchildren and then died by suicide at his home in Huétor Tájar in Granada.

The man barricaded himself in his house on Sunday night with the two children, aged 10 and 12, and a firearm, according to witness accounts which were then confirmed by the 112 emergency service.

Guardia Civil officers then raided the property this Monday morning and found the three bodies. The case is still under investigation, but it appears the man killed the children and then died by suicide, according to investigators. The father of the two children required medical attention after learning of the tragic news.

The incident started on the night of 19 May when the resident of Huétor Tájar barricaded himself in his home with the two children and a weapon. Several family members tried to mediate with the man so he would let the children out, but their attempts were unsuccessful. The lockdown lasted from 9pm until after 8am this morning - 12 hours of tension and fear that had a disastrous outcome.

Several units of the Local Police and Guardia Civil also tried to reason with the man. Members of Guardia Civil's special intervention unit in Madrid were then sent to the scene to try to negotiate with him, but to no avail.

This weekend's tragedy follows a traffic accident in March in which the man's wife and daughter, the mother of the two murdered children, died. The accident occurred on 19 March, with the two children also travelling inside the car.