Barracks in Austria: soldier shot dead in dispute

Status: 06.01.2023 8:11 p.m

During a dispute in an Austrian barracks, a soldier was shot dead by a superior. Investigators have so far assumed self-defense. The soldier is said to have previously threatened a comrade.

In an Austrian barracks, a soldier was shot dead during an argument with a superior. The incident happened at the airfield barracks, about 50 kilometers from Vienna. An exchange of fire was originally reported, but according to Defense Ministry spokesman Michael Bauer, the process is now different.

According to Bauer, the soldier is said to have initially threatened a comrade with his assault rifle. When a senior non-commissioned officer intervened in the dispute, the soldier is said to have attacked him with the barrel of his gun and inflicted several lacerations on him. During the scramble, the sergeant shot three times with the pistol and the alleged attacker was hit.

“At the moment it is assumed that there is a self-defence situation. There is no urgent suspicion of murder,” said a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office. The sergeant, who was briefly arrested after the incident, is free again. It is not yet known what triggered the dispute between the soldiers.

Further investigations into the crime

According to the APA news agency, the State Criminal Police Office initiated investigations into the exact course of events. A fatal incident had already occurred three years ago in the same barracks: At that time, a dog handler was attacked and killed by two military dogs. The 31-year-old sergeant was responsible for looking after and feeding the service dogs.

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