Two shots were fired in the afternoon near the Schweglerstrasse metro station in the 15th district. A drug deal went wrong, as it turned out, and one person was seriously injured. He is now before a jury in the Viennese countryside on charges of attempted murder and will not be legally imprisoned for another twelve years.
A drug deal like the one that takes place in Vienna dozens of times a day – at least that was the initial situation that turned fatal for a 31-year-old in the 15th district. “Sometime in the afternoon of May 1, 2024, my client is lying on the ground and dying,” attorney David Jodlbauer summarizes. Only emergency medical measures can save the Burgenland resident’s life: he suffered a punctured lung.
From intensive care to pre-trial detention
However, at the Vienna Regional Court he does not appear as a victim in the attempted murder trial, but as a defendant. Because he gave himself the near-fatal shot. The Public Prosecution Service accuses him of intent to kill his opponent.
Together with two other friends, the 31-year-old wanted to buy cocaine near the Schweglerstrasse metro station on May 1, 2024. When the money was handed over, a dispute arose with the other three people. First the money, then the drugs, or first the drugs and then the money. “It has escalated. The suspect became increasingly aggressive. “He took a gun with him when he handed over the drugs,” the prosecutor says.
Who shot and when?
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the unemployed person then took it with him. A scuffle reportedly ensued, ultimately resulting in two shots being fired. But the Burgenlander no longer wants to think about it. All he knew was that his opponent had him in his grasp and he finally resorted to the weapon. “My intention was to scare them and sneak away,” he told the jury.
They have an extremely difficult task. Because even the statements of the individual witnesses differ from each other. They are no longer sure when the gun came into play. Or who had it in hand and when… The fact is: only the suspect’s DNA was found on the trigger of the gun.
“Has an excessive addiction to guns”
In addition to the most serious charge, attempted murder, the Public Prosecution Service also accuses the 31-year-old of an attempted crime under the Narcotics Act, serious coercion, attempted burglary of a weapons warehouse and violating the Weapons Act. “He has an excessive addiction to guns. He has a pathological need to own firearms. He even had a small – rather medium-sized – arsenal of weapons at home,” the prosecutor explains. Despite a weapons ban that has been in place against him since he was seventeen.
Due to the list of violations, the jury sentenced the Burgenland resident to twelve years in prison. The verdict is not yet final. A psychiatric report also shows that the suspect has a personality disorder that makes him dangerous. He is therefore placed in a forensic therapeutic center.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
