In a tense operation on Tuesday night extending into the early hours of Wednesday, special forces from Einsatzkommando (Eko) Cobra were involved in a shooting in the Ottakring district of Vienna.
The operation ended with the death of a man, believed to be a 47-year-old Serbian citizen, who rented the apartment where the incident took place. This was confirmed by Gerhard Winkler, the head of the investigative service at the Vienna State Criminal Police Office, during a press conference on Wednesday.
Although initial reports strongly suggest the deceased was the apartment’s tenant, Winkler noted that the identity had not yet been conclusively verified. The police were called to the scene at around 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday after the man began throwing items from his apartment window onto the street. Neighbors also reported hearing gunshots from the apartment.
The police responded with a large-scale operation, deploying officers from both the Eko Cobra and the Vienna Emergency Unit (WEGA), and cordoned off the surrounding area. Emergency medical services and the fire brigade were also present at the scene. A negotiation team attempted to establish communication with the man inside.
“They tried to talk to him through the apartment door,” Winkler recounted. However, the man refused to engage and instead turned up the volume on his television to avoid communication with the officers. Due to sounds coming from the apartment that resembled voices—possibly from the television—the possibility of additional hostages could not be ruled out, prompting the decision to enter the premises.
Upon opening the apartment, a powerful explosion occurred, the cause of which remains under investigation. No explosives were found in the apartment, leading authorities to suspect a gas explosion, potentially triggered intentionally.
Despite the explosion, the man emerged from the apartment and approached the Cobra officers. Winkler stated that it remains unclear whether the man was armed at the time. Subsequently, officers opened fire. It has not yet been determined if the gunfire or the explosion was the cause of death, with an autopsy scheduled for Wednesday expected to provide further details.
Winkler also confirmed that seven people, including several officers, sustained minor injuries, presumably due to the explosion. There were no serious injuries or additional fatalities, which Winkler described as “almost a miracle,” given the explosion’s severity. The explosion caused significant damage, rendering the immediate area unsafe to enter due to the risk of collapse. However, Jürgen Figerl, a spokesperson for the Vienna Fire Brigade, stated that the affected building on Klausgasse was not in danger of total collapse, although firefighters had to reinforce parts of the structure as a precaution.
