Deadly Shots in Vienna Restaurant: Arrest and Initial Details on the Motive

After a dispute between four people on Thursday evening in a venue in Vienna-Ottakring, shots were fired. A 33-year-old Chechen lost his life, and his companion, a 55-year-old Serb, was hit in the upper body and is in critical condition in the intensive care unit, according to the Vienna Health Association. The perpetrators are known by name to the police, reported spokesman Markus Dittrich on Friday. An initial arrest was made during the night.

Dispute Over Money Ended with Fatal Shots in Vienna Venue

The two victims were involved in an altercation with two other men in the venue on Payergasse. The main perpetrator drew a weapon around 9:45 PM and fired multiple times at his opponents. The duo then fled. Bystanders were not harmed. The authorities initially did not comment on the motive and exact course of the crime.

According to media reports, the meeting, which involved far more than just four men, was about money. Specifically, a loan of 50,000 euros or francs, half of which the main suspect is said to have taken for himself. The dispute likely escalated during the presumed discussion.

Suspect Turned Himself In - Denies Involvement in Bloodshed

An arrest was made during the night hours. This was not officially confirmed by Dittrich, but by the suspect's lawyer, Ina-Christin Stiglitz, to the APA. She was contacted by her client around midnight, and on her advice and in her company, he turned himself in to the police. At 4:20 AM, the man's arrest was ordered because he had an illegal weapon and had entered the getaway vehicle of the alleged perpetrators "in the general turmoil" after the shooting. However, he denies any direct involvement in the bloodshed.

According to their spokesman Andreas Huber, the Vienna professional rescue service was on the scene but could do nothing more for the 33-year-old. His companion was responsive and was taken to a hospital after initial treatment.

(APA/Red)

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