Family of US college student missing in Barcelona, Spain, pleads for information

Chris Boyette, Diego Mendoza, CNNWed, March 18, 2026 at 10:50 PM UTC

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An undated photo of University of Alabama student James Gracey, who was reported missing in Barcelona on March 17. - Gracey Family

An American college student visiting friends for spring break has gone missing in Spain, his family said, adding police there have his phone.

James “Jimmy” Gracey, a 20-year-old junior at the University of Alabama, was last seen by a friend around 3 a.m. local time Tuesday outside Barcelona’s Shoko club near Port Olímpic, relatives said in a statement.

He was reported missing after he failed to return that morning to his short-term rental, his mother, Therese Gracey, said in a post on Facebook. He was last seen wearing a white shirt, dark pants and a chain with a gold rhinestone cross, his family said, adding he is about 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds.

Police have James Gracey’s phone, according to his mother, who said it was recovered after being stolen. The Catalan police force, Mossos d’Esquadra, is investigating, it said without providing more details.

“Jimmy is a kind, responsible, and devoted son and brother. It is completely out of character for him not to check in with family and friends,” a statement from the family said. “We ask that you keep Jimmy in your thoughts as we continue to do everything we can to bring him home safely.”

The US State Department declined to provide details, citing “privacy concerns and other considerations.”

CNN has reached out to the nightclub to learn how it is working with authorities.

Gracey, of Chicago suburb Elmhurst, Illinois, was visiting friends who are studying abroad, according to his family, which is pleading for the public’s help in finding him.

University of Alabama student James Gracey on the night he went missing in Barcelona, according to his mother Therese Gracey. - Gracey Family

While Gracey was on a personal trip, University of Alabama “staff are in touch with the family and those associated with them to offer support and assistance in any way possible,” the school told CNN.

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Gracey, the eldest of five children, has a flight booked for Saturday to travel back to the United States, according to his uncle, David Gracey, who is a CNN senior producer in Washington, DC. The college student’s father traveled to Barcelona to aid in the search for his son, according to a family spokesperson.

He isn’t known to be out of touch with family, David Gracey said of his nephew, noting he is an avid hockey player and a responsible young man who helps his parents take care of his younger siblings.

At the University of Alabama, James Gracey is a member of Theta Chi fraternity, where he serves as the chapter’s chaplain and philanthropy chairman, said chapter president Cavin McLay.

“He’s the guy that goes out of his way to be there when someone needs it,” he said in a statement. “We’re keeping our heads up and remaining hopeful that we find him safe.”

Last year, another US college student went missing while on spring break.

Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, vanished at the beach of the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic early on March 6, 2025. Her disappearance prompted a frantic search by air, sea and land, involving authorities from the United States, the Dominican Republic and India, where Konanki’s family is originally from. She remains missing.

The US State Department has recommendations for how to stay safe traveling abroad and what to do if a loved one goes missing. If a US citizen relative or friend is not responding to communications, officials recommend notifying the police, both in the location where they were last known to be or where you think they’re missing, and the State Department’s Overseas Citizens Services office in Washington, DC, or your nearest US Embassy or Consulate. From the US and Canada, the Overseas Citizens Services office can be contacted at 1-888-407-4747.

CNN en Español’s Pau Mosquera and CNN’s Taylor Romine contributed to this report.

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