One monk is dead and seven others injured after an unhinged man stormed into a Spanish monastery shouting “I am Jesus Christ!” and began assaulting them one by one in their rooms, according to a report.
A 76-year-old friar with severe head injuries died in the hospital Saturday afternoon in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia hours after the shocking incident, the Mirror reported.
The intruder went beserk after jumping over a perimeter fence, the outlet said.
The deadly drama unfolded at the Santo Espiritu del Monte Monastery in Gilet, a 35-minute drive north of Valencia. Three of the monks assaulted were aged 57, 66 and 95.
Police were searching for the attacker in the mountains near the monastery, the Mirror reported.
The city was recently rocked by devastating floods which killed more than 200 people, according to the report.
Gilet’s mayor, Salvador Costa, said the sicko entered the building around 10 a.m. shouting “I am Jesus Christ” and soon began assaulting the monks “with the intention of killing them.”
“It was with deep surprise and pain that we received the news this morning that a disturbed person had entered the Friary of Santo Espiritu del Monte,” a Provincial superior said in a statement confirming the death.
Gilet. Facebook/Hospederia Santo Espíritu Del Monte
Two monks who happened to be working outside in an orchard avoided the madman’s rampage.
The convent said of the stunning attacks: “With the injuries on their bodies and the pain in their souls caused by what they have experienced … undoubtedly leaves a deep mark on people.”
“We also pray that the aggressor may be aware of the damage and be able to rectify a behavior that is not at all typical of the human condition,” the statement added. “This event is also asking all of us brothers to be more attentive to prevent people who could cause damage of any kind from entering our fraternities, and thus to know how to take care of each other.”
