Those who final noticed James “Jimmy” Gracey at a Barcelona nightclub might recall a younger American man whose curls have been backlit by the crimson glow of the dance ground, or the strobe lights glinting off the rhinestone cross he wore round his neck.
Gracey parted methods with buddies whereas clubbing early Tuesday and was last seen alive round 3 a.m., relations say.
In the times that adopted, his household, buddies and fraternity brothers on the University of Alabama anxiously awaited information. Gracey’s father flew to Barcelona, the place metropolis police patrolled the streets and scanned the close by seaside for indicators of the 20-year-old.
But the search ended Thursday when Gracey was found dead in the shallow ocean water in entrance of the membership, Barcelona police confirmed.
Investigators say preliminary indicators level to an unintended demise. Still, the trigger and circumstances of the younger man’s demise are unclear.
Here is what we know up to now.
Gracey, who is from Illinois, was only one month away from finishing his junior 12 months. He had traveled abroad to spend spring break visiting classmates learning overseas, his aunt instructed the Associated Press.
He had left Alabama final Thursday and spent the weekend in Amsterdam earlier than arriving in Barcelona on Monday, his aunt Beth Marren O’Reilly instructed AP.
Gracey went out with buddies that night, visiting the favored strip of beachfront golf equipment in Port Olímpic that gas vacationer nightlife in the town. While on the beachfront membership Shoko, he turned separated from his buddies, his fraternity brother Cavin McLay instructed NCS affiliate WBMA.
“That was the last time we’ve heard from him,” McLay mentioned.
He was reported lacking after he didn’t return to his rental the following morning, his household mentioned.
A physique pulled from the ocean
Spanish authorities looked for the lacking American, patrolling the seaside neighborhood on bikes and utilizing underwater items to scour the water close to the membership the place he was final seen, in keeping with a spokesperson for the Catalan police pressure, Mossos d’Esquadra.
Police have been finally capable of recuperate Gracey’s cellphone, which had been stolen, his mom, Therese Gracey, mentioned in a submit on Facebook. The Catalan police pressure declined to share particulars when NCS requested in regards to the cellphone.
Police additionally reviewed safety digital camera footage from Shoko to attempt to retrace his actions in these early hours, WBMA reported. Employees on the membership declined to remark to NCS about Gracey’s disappearance, however they mentioned they turned over CCTV footage to police.
Friends of Gracey additionally returned to the membership in latest days, hoping for extra data on what may have occurred, the staff mentioned. They additionally walked the seaside passing out lacking particular person flyers, the affiliate reported.
Ultimately, Gracey’s physique was found a few meters underwater off Somorrostro seaside, which stretches in entrance of Shoko, police mentioned.
“Everything points to it being an accident, not a criminal act,” the police spokesperson mentioned.
An post-mortem will likely be carried out, with preliminary findings launched two or three days later, the Catalan excessive courtroom mentioned. The remaining post-mortem report, which is able to embody outcomes from laboratory testing, may take a number of further weeks, the courtroom mentioned.
A profound lack of a brother, chief and good friend
Loved ones had grown more and more frightened as they heard no phrase from Gracey, realizing it was “completely out of character” for the accountable, family-centered younger man to not examine in, his relations mentioned.
The household was “heartbroken” to search out out that Gracey had been found dead.
“Jimmy was a deeply loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend, and our family is struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable loss,” the household mentioned in a assertion.
Gracey’s absence will likely be profound. As the eldest of 5 kids, he usually helped his mother and father take care of his youthful siblings, in keeping with his uncle David Gracey, who is a NCS senior producer in Washington, DC.
He was additionally a beloved mentor and brother in the Theta Chi fraternity, the place he served as a chaplain and philanthropy chairman, mentioned McLay, the chapter president.
“He’s the guy that goes out of his way to be there when someone needs it,” McClay mentioned earlier than studying of his demise.
The school junior was additionally an avid hockey participant, his uncle mentioned. When not on the ice, he devoted himself to his research, changing into an honors student in the college’s accounting program, in keeping with his aunt.
“Jimmy’s loss is deeply felt across our campus,” the University of Alabama mentioned in a assertion Thursday.
“The University has been in close contact with the family throughout the week and will continue to provide support to them and to Jimmy’s friends, classmates, and all members of our community who are affected by this tragedy,” the varsity added.
This story has been up to date with further data.