College Student Jimmy Gracey’s Death Was Likely An Accident, Barcelona Police Say

The Alabama student whose assemblage was recovered successful Barcelona was apt nan unfortunate of an accident, Spanish location police said Friday.

James “Jimmy” Gracey, a assemblage student from Illinois, was recovered dormant Thursday aft vanishing while successful Barcelona connected a outpouring break travel to sojourn friends.

He had been astatine a nightclub pinch his friends nan nighttime of his disappearance, and his assemblage was recovered successful nan h2o disconnected a formation adjacent wherever he was past seen.

A spokesperson for Catalonia’s location constabulary successful Barcelona told The Associated Press Friday that “all signs point” to nan University of Alabama student’s decease being accidental, and that an autopsy would return place.

Gracey, 20, was past seen extracurricular nan Shoko nightclub astir 3 a.m. connected Tuesday.

He ne'er returned to nan room he was renting pinch friends, according to family members who unrecorded successful nan suburb of Elmhurst, astir 19 miles (31 kilometers) westbound of Chicago. Police later recovered his phone.

In a statement, nan Gracey family asked for prayers and privacy.

“Our family is heartbroken arsenic we corroborate that Jimmy’s assemblage has been recovered successful Barcelona. Jimmy was a profoundly loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend, and our family is struggling to travel to position pinch this unimaginable loss,” nan connection said.

Barcelona is simply a celebrated tourer destination that draws millions of overseas visitors each year. It is mostly safe, particularly compared pinch awesome U.S. cities, wherever tourists’ biggest interest are usually pickpockets.

The city's Mediterranean beaches, which are located wrong stepping region of nan bustling metropolis center, are a main tie particularly for young visitors. The area wherever Gracey went retired is simply a agelong of formation pinch respective restaurants and nightclubs that are frequented by locals and tourists.

In an question and reply conducted earlier constabulary confirmation of his death, Gracey’s aunt told the AP that he was “just a awesome kid, a bully Catholic boy from nan Midwest.”

The University of Alabama said successful a connection that nan schoolhouse organization “is heartbroken to study of nan decease of Jimmy Gracey.”

“Jimmy’s nonaccomplishment is profoundly felt crossed our campus. Our condolences are pinch nan Gracey family during this devastating time,” it said.