50 People in the Mühlviertel Under Police Custody

50 People in the Mühlviertel Under Police Custody

APA/TEAM FOTOKERSCHI/KERSCHBAUMMAYR

After a large police manhunt for a suspect who allegedly shot two people in the Mühlviertel on Monday failed by Tuesday afternoon, the police issued a stern warning about the wanted individual: “We must assume that the suspect is very, very dangerous,” said Deputy Police Director Rudolf Keplinger at a press conference. Fifty individuals are currently under police protection. The motive for the crime is believed to be disputes over hunting rights.

The two victims—a mayor from the Rohrbach district and a hunting director—had reported the suspected perpetrator earlier this year in the spring and most recently on October 22. The latest report was due to illegal baiting by the mayor, as mentioned in the press conference. Whether the suspect planned the attacks because of these reports is still under investigation.

It is assumed that he currently possesses two long guns and a handgun. Other legally owned weapons have been secured, informed Keplinger. The suspect’s second car has also been seized, and his two hunting dogs were found alive at one of his residences. Until the man is apprehended, “we must assume that he is still alive.” Fifty individuals from his social circle, particularly from the hunting community, are considered particularly at risk, which is why they have received police protection or been relocated to safety. The district authority of Rohrbach has issued “a kind of hunting ban” in the affected region, according to the deputy police director.

“We have been supporting with personnel from five locations since Monday,” said Bernhard Treibenreif, head of the Special Units/ Cobra Task Force, in response to an APA inquiry. Numerous officers equipped with special gear and armored vehicles are involved. In total, about 250 forces are in action, and meetings on the current situation are held hourly in Altenfelden, as stated in the press conference. The Linz public prosecutor’s office has issued an arrest warrant on suspicion of double murder. Czech and German police have been informed.

On Monday morning, around 8:15 AM, an emergency call was made reporting that a shot had been fired, described Gottfried Mitterlehner, head of the state criminal office. This led to the discovery of the first victim’s body, the local mayor. About half an hour later, the suspect allegedly shot his second victim, a hunting director. The man then fled in his car onto B127, the Rohrbacher Straße. “Since then, we have not known where he is.”

An attempt to locate the suspect ordered by the prosecutor’s office was unsuccessful. He did not have his two mobile phones with him, spokesperson Ulrike Breiteneder reported. The autopsy of the deceased is scheduled for Tuesday. For the judiciary, the perpetrator has been “a blank slate” until now. From the suspect’s surroundings, it is said that he had long since broken off contact with his family. He has been known in the village for years as “problematic” and “quick-tempered.” He allegedly set up illegal traps, much to the displeasure of other hunters and farmers, as the APA learned.

 

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