University of Kentucky professor blocks away from Barcelona attack

BARCELONA, Spain (WTVQ) – In Spain, people are still mourning after a van plowed into pedestrians on Las Ramblas, the most famous boulevard in Barcelona.

13 people were killed and over 100 were injured in the attack.

University of Kentucky Associate Professor of Geography Matthew Wilson is in Barcelona and was at a restaurant just minutes away when the attack happened.

He says Catalonian media sent mixed reports about what happened, reporting things like an active shooter or a bomb. He says it wasn’t until the next day that he could fully understand what actually happened.

Now, he says he notices a change in the city’s atmosphere.

“Las Ramblas is typically a city so full of activity with open-air markets and open-air restaurants,” said Wilson. “Yesterday and today, it feels more like a funeral procession.”

Wilson says he will be in Spain for the remainder of August.