Two Dead in Vienna - Condition of 24-Year-Old Critical: "Doctors Fight for Her Life"

Two other victims - a 24-year-old woman, who is the daughter of the alleged shooter, and a 26-year-old man - are alive.

Condition of Young Woman Critical

According to the Vienna Health Association, the young woman, who was shot in the head, was in an extremely critical condition, "the doctors are fighting for her life." Despite a very severe gunshot wound, the 26-year-old is relatively well. He is believed to be the partner of the 24-year-old. According to the spokesman, his condition is not only stable, but he was also able to be transferred to a regular ward.

First Interview with Injured Person

In the afternoon, investigators from the state criminal office were able to conduct a brief interview for the first time. According to this, he confirmed that the motive for the bloodshed was likely jealousy and the separation. The 26-year-old also confirmed that the entire family had gathered in the apartment and that the 44-year-old was behaving strangely. He eventually drew the firearm and first fired at the 26-year-old, then at the others. A formal and more detailed interrogation was still pending.

Also present in the apartment during the incident were three minors, confirmed Ingrid Pöschmann from the Child and Youth Welfare (MA 11) upon request, corresponding to media reports. These were the 15-year-old daughter of the 44-year-old woman, as well as a baby and a toddler (2) of the critically injured 24-year-old. The minors were placed in the care of the deceased's sister, with whom MA 11 is in contact and has offered assistance.

Dispute in Multi-Party House in Vienna Vorgartenstraße

The bloodshed was preceded by a loud argument in the multi-party house on Vorgartenstraße. The arriving officers noticed the Serb on the street, who, when they asked him to stop, aimed a weapon at them and fired. An officer returned fire, after which the 44-year-old initially fled in a white Mercedes, but then stopped nearby.

According to police spokeswoman Julia Schick, he was found "lifeless in his vehicle" shortly thereafter in the vicinity. An autopsy is to determine whether the Serb killed himself with the weapon found in the car and/or if he was hit by the police during the exchange of fire. According to Schick, the 44-year-old had been subject to a weapons ban for some time, although it was initially unclear why this had been imposed. The man had illegally possessed the firearm, the type of which was also initially unknown.

Police Operation and Closure

In the meantime, the police officers discovered the lifeless 44-year-old in the apartment, as well as the two other victims who were being treated by several teams from the Vienna professional rescue service, as their spokesperson Daniel Melcher announced on Wednesday. They were subsequently taken to a hospital. Media reports about two minors who were allegedly in the apartment could not be confirmed or denied by Schick at first.

The events led to a massive police and rescue operation. The area was extensively cordoned off.

Moment of Silence Held

Reactions came on Wednesday from the association StoP (Districts Without Partner Violence) and the Women's Ring. At a press conference of the association, which presented its latest campaign in Vienna on Wednesday, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the bloodshed. Association chairwoman Maria Rösslhumer expressed her deepest sympathy to the victims and their bereaved. Klaudia Frieben from the Austrian Women's Ring, also present at the press conference, stated in this context that the recent act once again revealed the urgency of the issue. She was "very angry," Frieben told the APA on the sidelines of the press conference. "We must not return to business as usual now."

The head of the Meidling District Court, Oliver Scheiber, also saw a tightening of gun laws as necessary. He did not understand "why anyone - except for the military or police - needs a weapon," Scheiber said, noting that this was purely his personal opinion.

Important Information

In Austria, women experiencing violence can find help and information, among others, at the Women's Helpline: 0800-222-555, www.frauenhelpline.at; at the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (AÖF) at www.aoef.at; Violence Protection Center Vienna: https://www.gewaltschutzzentrum.at/wien/ and at the 24-hour Women's Emergency Hotline of the City of Vienna: 01-71719 as well as the Women's Shelter Emergency Hotline at 057722 and the Austrian Violence Protection Centers: 0800/700-217; Police Emergency Number: 133

Are you in a desperate life situation and need help? Talk to other people about it. Support services for people with suicidal thoughts and their relatives are offered by the Suicide Prevention Portal of the Ministry of Health. At www.suizid-praevention.gv.at you can find contact details of support facilities in Austria.

(APA/Red)

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