A lone gunman opened fire inside a packed nightclub in Marbella leaving four injured, including one Irish man.
The shooting took place early this morning after a fight broke out in the Opium nightclub at the popular Costa del Sol holiday resort in Marbella, Spain.
According to local reports, those injured include the suspected gunman who has been detained and is suffering from stab wounds after a fight broke out just after 1 am.
Police sources said: “One of the four people who suffered gunshot wounds is an Irish man. He is the most seriously injured of the gunshot victims. He suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.”
The same source confirmed the gunman who has been arrested and suffered stab wounds is a Dutch national.
He continued: "The other gunshot victims were shot in the backside, leg and shoulder.”
A local resident told El Confidencial they couldn't sleep because of the noise from the club and suddenly they heard four gunshots.
He said: "I looked out because I knew that these were not fireworks like the ones that had been launched on other nights. I saw many people running and leaving the premises so I called the police."
The fight is believed to have occurred between two groups in a VIP area of the beach club.
One could be seen grabbing a large bottle while others took their shirts off as if they were preparing for a punch-up.
Police have not yet confirmed the nationalities of those hurt, although a man heard shouting just before shots rang out appeared to be talking in French.
Another was heard yelling over and over: "What the f**k", although English did not appear to be his first language.
Chilling footage shared online appears to show commotion inside the nightclub as gunfire is heard.
Revellers then frantically try to escape the nightclub, causing a stampede on the dance floor as panicked partygoers are heard screaming.
Although some initial reports said a woman died in the incident, police have confirmed there were no deaths.
Police were quickly on the scene and it has been reported that there were 18 police cars and at least three ambulances.
A source at Malaga’s National Police said on Monday morning: “One of the people who suffered gunshot wounds is in a serious condition but we have not been informed of any deaths at this stage.”
South African DJ Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, was among those due to perform at Opium Beach Club on Sunday night.
A British ex-pat who was among the revellers said: “There was an initial problem in the VIP area which the bouncers sorted and led to one person being taken away. The shooting occurred during a second incident about ten minutes later.
“The talk is that there was a fight between rich Russians and Arabs after the guy who had been taken away came back in but no one’s confirmed it yet.
“They were swinging around those massive bottles of Belvedere Vodka and the bouncers charged back to try to sort it out and that’s when the shooting started.
“I was with my husband and he just flung himself on top of me because at one point the gunman seemed to be shooting out into the crowd.
“There was real mad panic and everyone just rang for the exits. It was all very confusing.”
Another source at the Costa del Sol Hospital where the injured are all believed to have been taken added: ”None of the casualties brought to the hospital are Spanish.”
One source said: “The bouncers are understood to have thrown out a man who had been involved in an altercation and that man is believed to have returned with a knife and gone for the gunman who he had previously had a fight with.
“Police are working on the theory the gunman reacted by getting out the weapon he was carrying and trying to shoot him after being stabbed, but he missed his target and instead shot four other people.”
