The case in summary Two people have been confirmed killed after a shooting incident in the north of Austria. One of those killed is the mayor of the municipality of Kirchberg ob der Donau. Large police resources are still hunting the perpetrator, who is a man in his 50s. The motive is not clear, but according to local media, it should stem from a conflict in the hunting community. The summary is made with the help of KI, and is quality assured by news. The shooting took place on Monday morning in the Rohrbach region in the far north of the country, reports the newspaper Kleine Zeitung. Several local media write that Franz Hofer, the mayor of the town of Kirchberg ob der Donau, has been shot. The regional leader of the ÖVP party, Florian Hiegelsberger, confirms to the Kronen Zeitung that Hofer has been killed. – It’s completely crazy, he says to the newspaper. The incident happened on a field by a motorway in Altenfelden, a few kilometers north of Kirchberg. The entire area is cordoned off. Another man has also been confirmed dead. He is said to have been shot in Arnreit, which is close to Altenfelden. The area is close to the Czech and German border. – It is difficult to imagine the suffering the alleged perpetrator caused, writes Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on X on Monday evening. Still looking for the killer The police still have no control over the shooter, who is said to have a hunting background. The suspect is a man in his 50s, and according to the police is considered “very dangerous”. Since the morning hours, there has been a large police operation to arrest the person in question. Helicopter at the scene. Photo: DANIEL BAYER / AFP Emergency services on site. Photo: ANTONIO BAYER / AFP The mayor is said to have been killed on a field in Altenfelden. Photo: AFP The police’s special forces are now going door to door looking for the suspect. They are also searching in a forest in the area. According to local authorities, the police are still deploying large forces, including in armored cars, on Monday afternoon. Spokesperson Ulrike Handlbauer says they assume the perpetrator is still armed. The population is encouraged to stay indoors. Killed hunting colleagues The motive for the shooting has not yet been confirmed, but is believed to stem from a conflict in the hunting community, writes Kronen. Kirchberg ob der Donau has around 1,000 inhabitants. The murdered mayor was also hunting manager in the municipality and owned a hunting company. The other victim also has a background as a hunt leader, and has worked in the police. 64-year-old Franz Hofer has been mayor of Kirchberg ob der Donau since 2008. Photo: Rohrbach district waste association A source for the newspaper, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that the suspect is well known in the community. Among other things, he is said to have been accused of poaching. Kleine Zeitung writes that a complaint about a “minor hunting offence” should have triggered the murders on Monday. A third death has also been reported, but the police have not confirmed this. It is still uncertain whether the murders are connected, the police say. State governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) says he is deeply affected. – These incredible actions shock our country. In these difficult hours, all our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families and all relatives. The head of Upper Austria’s state hunting association, Herbert Sieghartsleitner, says he is shocked by what has happened. – There is probably a hunting conflict behind it. But as long as nothing more precise is known, I will not say anything about it, says Sieghartsleitner to Oberösterreichische Nachrichten. Published 28.10.2024, at 11.55 Updated 28.10.2024, at 20.32
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Several people shot in Austria – the mayor is said to have been killed – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
