Suspect Arrested in July Yppenplatz Shooting

Suspect Arrested in July Yppenplatz Shooting

APA/ALEX HALADA

Vienna’s criminal investigation unit (LKA) has apprehended a suspect in the mid-July shooting incident at Yppenplatz, Vienna-Ottakring, which left two men injured. According to the State Police Directorate, a 21-year-old Libyan man was identified and detained two days ago in connection with the shooting. Thus far, the suspect has refused to make any statements. The police confirmed he has since been transferred to a detention facility.

The suspect was taken into custody on Monday on a public street in Vienna’s Mariahilf district by LKA officers, as stated by police spokesperson Barbara Gass. While the investigation remains ongoing, authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the evidence linking the man to the shooting. Police indicated that additional suspects may be involved and are under investigation.

The Vienna public prosecutor’s office requested pre-trial detention for the suspect on Wednesday, although a formal hearing before a judge was still pending as of the afternoon.

The shooting incident occurred on July 14 during a conflict at Yppenplatz, allegedly related to drug activity. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire, believed to come from a handgun, and two men were injured: an 18-year-old Syrian and a 22-year-old stateless individual, both of whom sustained severe injuries to their lower bodies. Initial efforts to locate the shooter at the scene were unsuccessful.

At the crime scene, investigators discovered a backpack containing an undisclosed amount of marijuana, packaged in small bags and seemingly ready for street distribution. Police later confirmed the drug find and suggested that the conflict leading to the shooting likely stemmed from tensions within the local drug scene.

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