Deadly weapons: everyone’s shooting training is booming | tagesschau.de

In Germany every adult is allowed on the shooting range under supervision. To Report MainzResearch was able to develop a market for shooting events and train extremists on weapons.

Saturday morning, a small shooting range, somewhere in Germany. Almost 20 people came to immerse themselves in another world over the next few hours. For the first time they want to shoot with sharp weapons. It should be an experience. “Shooting for everyone” is what it is called.

What sounds like everyday American life is available nationwide in Germany. The offer for such events is huge, sold as a highlight for the company party or the bachelor party. Journalists of the ARD-Political magazine Report Mainz have documented what happens at such an event, which weapons are fired with and how ammunition is handled there.

A short briefing and the participants have their first weapons in their hands – from the large-caliber precision rifle to the carbine from the Second World War to the semi-automatic assault rifle. Weapons similar to the military, like those often used in rampages and assassinations.

“Guns and events do not go together”

Michael Mertens, Deputy Chairman of the Police Union (GDP), is critical of such events. “Guns and events don’t go together,” Mertens said in an interview with Report Mainz. He particularly criticizes the fact that everyone there has access to such heavy weapons: “These weapons do not belong in the hands of laypeople, they belong in the hands of professionals”.

For four hours, the participants in the shooting event are familiarized with weapons in detail – from inserting the ammunition and correct posture to the shot. And they are entrusted with ammunition for a wide variety of weapons. The journalists from Report Mainz succeeded several times in leaving the shooting range with it. Theoretically, they could have driven away with the ammunition unnoticed – they break off the attempt.

Organizer rejects allegations

A few days later, the organizer takes off on request Report Mainz Comment on this: “From our point of view, it would not have been possible to steal the ammunition without any problems,” he writes to the journalists. “You were noticed because you were walking around on the premises. Since you came back, nothing was done,” it said. In addition, it is not taught or learned at its events that all weapons are approved for civil use.

Michael Mertens from the GDP considers such handling of ammunition to be extremely dangerous. “If you have succeeded in doing that, I don’t need a lot of imagination to consider who can still do it,” Mertens said in an interview with Report Mainz, “I am really shocked that it is so possible.”

Extremists as guest shooters

The legal situation in Germany makes such shooting events possible. It is true that a license is required to buy and possess weapons, and buyers must be verified. But none of this is necessary for shooting at a shooting range – as long as there is supervision. And so every adult can shoot at shooting ranges with all weapons that are permitted as sporting weapons, even apart from such events. The many rifle clubs are also allowed to have guests shot: without a gun license, without official inspection.

According to research by Report Mainz was able to practice a group of left-wing extremists in Berlin on weapons in 2017, although the men were previously known to investigators. And Stephan Ernst, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court for the murder of Walter Lübcke, trained as a guest shooter on a shooting range before his act – despite previous convictions and involvement in the right-wing extremist scene. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution confirms that it is also aware of cases of extremists as guest shooters.

Change of gun law required

For this reason and because of the large market for shooting events, GDP man Mertens calls on politicians to deal with the topic of guest shooting. There is an urgent need for a discussion about what requirements a guest shooter must bring. “It cannot be that criminals, extremists or other people who are unsuitable in character are made smart about guns,” said Mertens.

Martina Renner sees it that way too. The interior expert of the Left Party has been dealing with extremism, shooting training and weapons for years. She calls for improvements in gun law. “It has to be changed that everyone can simply shoot at a shooting range,” Renner told Report Mainz. If you want to shoot with sharp weapons, you need a permit, as you would when buying and owning a weapon.

Federal government rejects demand

The responsible Federal Ministry of the Interior says on request of Report Mainzthat shooting at firing ranges as a guest cannot be compared with permits to buy, own or carry weapons – an answer that should reassure the many organizers of shooting events. Because this is how they can continue to do business: with “shooting training for everyone”.