pandemic
Deadly mask dispute: suspected murderer in court
At a gas station in Idar-Oberstein, flowers and candles commemorate the young cashier who was shot by a man armed with a pistol on September 18, 2021. Photo: Birgit Reichert/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
A 20-year-old dies after an argument about wearing a corona mask. The act caused a nationwide sensation in September. Now the suspected killer is on trial.
A petrol station employee dies after a reference to the corona mask requirement – the Bad Kreuznach district court in Rhineland-Palatinate will deal with this sensational act from this Monday.
Murder is being tried. A 50-year-old is accused of having shot the 20-year-old in September in Idar-Oberstein (Birkenfeld district). The act had caused nationwide horror.
quarrel escalated
According to the investigation, the accused wanted to buy beer at the gas station on September 18 without a mask. He came twice. The first time, he is said to have left after a discussion with the student who worked as a temp at the gas station. When he came back, he initially wore a mouth and nose cover, which he then pulled down at the checkout.
After an exchange of words with the 20-year-old, the 50-year-old pulled a revolver out of his pocket and shot the young man in the head. The victim died immediately. Mourning for the dead had shaped life in Idar-Oberstein for weeks.
The perpetrator wanted to “set an example”
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the perpetrator acted “insidiously and for base motives”. The German, who was not previously known to the police, confessed to the crime. After his arrest, he is said to have said that he had long felt burdened by the restrictions imposed to combat the corona pandemic and decided to “set an example,” the prosecutor said. According to the prosecutor, the investigators had heard around 20 witnesses, including eyewitnesses who were at the gas station when the crime happened.
According to the defendant’s lawyer, the self-employed software developer also wants to make a confession during the trial. On the other hand, it could be disputed whether the murder characteristics of malice and base motives are met. According to the court, 13 hearings are planned until mid-May.