The discovery of two dead people on a street corner, one still sitting on a street bench, the other lying at her feet, was first reported as a bomb going off.

The inititial speculation was that the man and woman had been manipulating an explosive device but it soon became clear that the man had shot his wife with a sawn-off shotgun where she sat and then turned it upon himself, taking his own life as well.

This incident occurred in Orio in the Basque Lands after the wife had agreed to meet her estranged husband but in a public place. The woman in her early 50s had said that they could remain friends but she no longer wanted to form a couple with him.

Apparently, when he appeared at the agreed time, not a word was exchanged (she was reading a book) because he immediately opened fire killing her instantly. Moments later he blew his own head off.

It was because of the devastating effect of a sawn-off shotgun at point blank range that led to the first report of an explosion. This being the Basque Lands with a history of bombings during the years of ETA Terrorism, it’s a natural conclusion, perhaps.

The couple leave behind two offspring; a 19-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter.

(News: Orio, Gipuzkoa, Basque Lands)