The Leon provincial government leader was shot and killed Monday afternoon by two women in an apparent act of vengeance.
A mother and daughter shot 59-year-old Isabel Carrasco several times as she was walking on a footbridge in Leon, Spain in the afternoon, reports The Guardian. People initially thought the multiple shots were fireworks going off.
Police told the Diario de Leon that the daughter had worked at the provincial government, but recently lost her job. A ministry of the interior source said the motive appeared to be "a personal grudge."
After news of the shooting got out, several political parties cancelled any engagements, with the Popular Party leader and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy backing out of any planned events for the day to mourn Carrasco, according to BBC News. Carrasco was a member of the Popular Party.
Saoraya Saenz de Santamaria, the deputy prime minister, blasted the shooting and said, "These are moments of great consternation." She added, "We want to express our support and solidarity with Carrasco's family and to her colleagues at this hard time."