Madrid, Spain, Oct 3, 2011 / 12:01 pm
Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid, Spain, together with his auxiliary bishops, expressed sadness over the shooting of a pregnant woman as she prayed before Mass at a Madrid parish.
The bishops gave “thanks to God” for the actions of emergency responders who saved the life of the pregnant woman’s child.
The incident occurred Thursday, Sept. 29 at approximately 8 p.m.
The Spanish newspaper ABC reported that the gunman, wearing a straw hat, casual clothing and carrying a pistol inside a sports racket cover, walked into the Madrid church and shot dead 36-year-old Jazmin Rocio Piñeiro at point blank range as she sat in a pew before Mass. She was only days away from giving birth. Rocio’s husband, who came to the scene, had to be treated by doctors.