After the deadly shots in Ottweiler, Saarland, in a dispute over a rented apartment, the police are investigating the background to the crime. A 51-year-old killed a woman and himself in his apartment on Friday afternoon. A 79-year-old was shot and seriously injured, his condition was stable on Saturday, a police spokesman said.
According to previous knowledge, the 51-year-old had applied for a rental apartment together with his partner. On Friday, the owner of the apartment, a 78-year-old, came to the couple with an acquaintance to say that she wanted to give the apartment to someone else. The 51-year-old therefore pulled a gun and shot the 78-year-old. In a subsequent scuffle with the 79-year-old acquaintance of the dead, he pulled the trigger again and injured the man. The 51-year-old then shot himself.
Whether the man legally owned the gun and how many shots he fired was initially unclear on Saturday and should be determined. He was not known to the police, said the spokesman. The crime happened around 4 p.m. The shooter's partner was cared for. The couple should have left their previous home this year, the police spokesman said.
According to him, the investigators were able to speak to the 79-year-old in the hospital on Saturday. He clarified that he was not married to the 78-year-old who was killed, as initially assumed.
The mayor of Ottweiler, Holger Schäfer (CDU), wrote on Facebook about an incredible act that makes you think and sad. "What happened is appalling and difficult to understand," wrote Schäfer. His thoughts are with the victims. Schäfer called for the act to be taken as an opportunity to pay more attention to other people and to come to a better relationship. Ottweiler is located in the Saarland district of Neunkirchen. The small town has around 14,400 inhabitants.
