He allegedly killed his wife and three daughters aged 10, 8 and 3 before turning the gun on him.
This is the scenario favored by the police, after the discovery of the five corpses of an entire family, in their house, on Saturday in Königs Wusterhausen, a city south-east of Berlin (Germany).
According to local media, both parents were teachers.
Devid R., the 40-year-old father of the family, left a long, multi-page handwritten farewell letter to explain his gesture.
He says there that he had a fake vaccination certificate made for his wife, Linda, also aged 40.
But the employer of the latter, the Technical University (TH) of Wildau, "noticed it and wanted to investigate with the greatest rigor", said a spokesperson for the Cottbus prosecutor's office, Gernot Bantleon.
"The submitted document gave rise to inquiries on which the employee was invited to comment in writing," the Brandenburg Ministry of Science said.
A risk of a fine, nothing more
Therefore, Devid R. is said to have feared prison and the loss of his children. "The father expected that he and his wife are placed in detention and that the children are withdrawn from them", explains the Cottbus prosecutor's office, in charge of this case. He did not say whether or not Devid R. was known to have suffered from psychological problems. But the father was not known to the police, and the family never had any dealings with the youth welfare office, reports Berlin tabloid BZ.
Thus, it would have been quite improbable that the youth protection office would remove children from their parents for this simple reason.
“This is a forgery of documents.
The legislator provides for them a fine or a prison sentence of up to five years, ”remarks Alexander Pabst, criminal lawyer in Berlin, interviewed by the daily Bild.
Because for two weeks, in addition to counterfeiting, the possession and use of counterfeit vaccination certificates has been a criminal offense.
Read alsoCovid-19: the restrictions for the unvaccinated generalized throughout Germany
But in the case of the R. family, without a criminal record, “a fine would have been foreseen.
The amount would have been calculated based on the father's income.
»Have jobs been threatened?
“Of course there are labor law consequences for him,” answers the lawyer.
I can't say if the woman would have been fired.
"
No sign of intrusion or struggle, suggesting the presence of a third person, was found in the family home, specifies the German daily Der Tagesspiegel.
A handgun, most likely a murder weapon, was found in a location that appears to corroborate the murder followed by suicide thesis.
However, neither the father nor the mother had a corresponding firearms license.
Each child was found dead in their bedroom, Bild said.
The university "loses a valued colleague"
"It is with great consternation and perplexity that TH Wildau learned of the death of one of our employees," declared the establishment to the German media RTL.
“With her, the university loses a longtime and much appreciated colleague.
In this difficult situation, our condolences go to the bereaved.
"
The affair leaves the residents "stunned", confides the mayor of Königs Wusterhausen, Michaela Wiezorek, to the Der Tagesspiegel.
A pastoral reception center has been set up.
“We will speak to the institutions that the three children visited,” he announces.
Psychological support for children and adults who have been around them is offered.
Since November 24, the rule of 3G ("geimpft, getestete, gennesen", or "vaccinated, tested or cured") applies to employees in Germany.
From January 2022, it will be replaced by the 2G rule (“vaccinated” or “cured”).
This means that one test will no longer suffice and unvaccinated people will no longer be able to make it to the office.