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University of Heidelberg: Investigators announce the background to the motive of the gunman

2022-03-17T15:31:38.286Z


Why did the assassin shoot at the University of Heidelberg? The investigators have tried to find an explanation for this - and want to take action against a Viennese arms dealer.


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Police vehicles are parked on the grounds of Heidelberg University (archive)

Photo: R.Priebe / dpa

According to the investigators, the Heidelberg gunman was a lone perpetrator with no social ties.

The public prosecutor's office said on Thursday that there were no accomplices, conscious helpers or instigators.

The shooter opened fire on January 24 during a tutorial in a lecture hall.

A 23-year-old student later died as a result of a shot in the head, three others were injured.

The perpetrator took his own life after the attack.

The motive of the 18-year-old could not be clarified with absolute certainty.

However, there is some evidence that he actually wanted to take revenge for an injury he had suffered in his imagination.

The investigators did not say what this insult should have consisted of.

In 2018 and 2019 he received inpatient psychiatric treatment for acute suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

He has been diagnosed with several mental disorders, including Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

This was accompanied by a severe drop in self-esteem.

This hatred of oneself and others can be seen as the main reason for the crime.

According to the investigators, there was no evidence of a right-wing extremist motive.

In 2019, the 18-year-old applied for a supporting membership in the right-wing extremist small party »Der III.

way« but never received it.

According to the information, he had no other contacts in the scene.

The perpetrator was "a loner with no social ties to his fellow students".

A relationship to his victims could not be determined.

There was also no specific reason for the crime.

Bought gun in Vienna

He had been planning his attack since the end of December 2021 at the latest.

At the beginning of January 2022, he contacted a private arms seller in Vienna.

The 18-year-old presented himself to him as a prospective hunter.

In mid-January he bought three guns in a shop in Vienna.

According to the Austrian Weapons Act, there must be a three-day "cooling-off phase" between the conclusion of the purchase contract and the handover to the buyer.

According to the investigators, this was not observed with the murder weapon: On January 21, he bought a lever-action rifle, which was immediately handed over to him.

However, Austrian weapons law does not provide for sanctions in the event of such a violation.

However, the public prosecutor's office in Heidelberg is investigating against the owner of the arms shop and his employees because of the initial suspicion of negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm.

According to the investigators, the perpetrator would not have been in possession of the weapon at the time of the crime if the "cooling down phase" had been observed correctly and would not have been able to carry out the crime in the given manner.

kha/jpz/dpa/AFP

Source: spiegel

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