Attempted Murder Trial After Shooting in Vienna Park Has Begun

The indictment accuses them of attempted murder. The 30-year-old is alleged to have participated in a shooting at Anton-Kummerer-Park in Brigittenau on July 5, 2024. The younger man is said to have been present and thus contributed psychologically to the crime.

The defendants did not confess. The men, represented by defense attorneys Alexander Philipp and Florian Kreiner, assured that they had not entered the park after it had been stormed by dozens of Syrians armed with wooden slats, iron rods, machetes, and other weapon-capable objects. "When I saw that, I didn't go in. It was like medieval conditions," the 29-year-old described to a jury (Chair: Wolfgang Etl).

30-year-old allegedly fired six times

The 30-year-old is accused of firing a pistol at least six times with intent to kill at five opponents. According to the indictment, the bullets narrowly missed the Syrians. Two of them were injured by projectiles ricocheting off vehicles. One suffered a four-centimeter shrapnel injury in the area of the breastbone tip, the other a superficial laceration on the right thigh.

The 30-year-old admitted to driving his dark BMW to Anton-Kummerer-Park. He had been training at a gym and learned from a compatriot there that his younger brother was having "trouble." They decided to drive to Brigittenau with another Chechen present at the gym to provide support. "Let's help, it's about the little brother," the 31-year-old recalled his thoughts at the time.

Upon arrival, his companions suddenly pulled out blank-firing pistols and ran into the park. Then he heard shots: "I got in and drove away quickly. It was about 100 to 150 meters away, I didn't want my car to be damaged." Additionally, he sought to leave "for self-protection."

Defendants had not commented on allegations until the trial

The man was arrested on July 6. Since then, he has been in pre-trial detention and had exercised his right to remain silent until the main trial. When asked by the presiding judge why he had not said anything if he was innocent, the previously unblemished project manager, a trained mechatronics technician, remarked: "Because so much happened. I didn't want to comment until the main trial."

The 29-year-old had also not made any statements until now. He is alleged to have accompanied the main defendant, with whom he claims to have been friends for 14 years, knowing the plan of the crime. According to the indictment, the younger man also armed himself at the crime scene, but no use of weapons could be proven against him. The indictment accuses him of having "at least psychologically encouraged" the 30-year-old in his shooting.

The 29-year-old explained that he had not gone to Kummerer-Park with the main defendant, but with a friend with whom he had arranged to eat pizza nearby: "Suddenly everyone ran into the park." He wanted to see what was happening there, "then I already heard bangs and shots." When he saw "men with southern appearance, Arabs" with T-shirts pulled over their heads and weapons in their hands, he preferred to withdraw with his companion: "We then went to watch football in a beer garden."

Defender Convinced of Acquittals

The 29-year-old is incriminated on the one hand by the result of a call data retrieval. However, he does not deny being near the crime scene. On the other hand, his fanny pack was found in the BMW of the main defendant. The 29-year-old explained that he had met his friend in the afternoon and accidentally left the bag in the car. His defender, Florian Kreiner, was convinced of an acquittal: "He neither fought nor participated in any other way. There is no evidence that he stood by during the shootings."

Against the main defendant are the statements of witnesses and a shooting report. Gunshot residue was found on his clothing and on the steering wheel of his car. The 30-year-old and his defender, Alexander Philipp, explained that the man had been in Bratislava the day before and had tried out several firearms, including a Glock, at a shooting range. A few hours before his arrest, he had cleaned his own weapon at home after the shooting exercises in Slovakia.

During the investigation, witnesses described the dark BMW of the 30-year-old and stated that three men armed with pistols got out of the vehicle and went into the park. However, the witnesses did not identify the main defendant in a lineup, the prosecutor admitted during the trial. Consequently, his legal representative also assumed that he "can only be acquitted."

Jurors Arrived Late Due to Security Measures

The trial was overshadowed by the effects of the tightened security measures, which have been causing significant delays at the regional court for several weeks. Every person who wants to enter the courthouse is now meticulously examined - even wallets are opened, hairpins and brooches must be handed in at the entrance.

However, some witnesses summoned to the trial did not want to join the queue in front of the security checkpoint and pushed ahead. When asked by security staff not to push in, verbal threats ensued. The police had to be called to restore peace and order.

The thorough searches resulted in some jurors only making it into the courtroom with several hours' delay. Fortunately, the judge had summoned a sufficient number of lay judges, so the trial could begin on time, as the jury bench was adequately filled with the legally required eight laypersons. However, women with a jury summons kept entering the room, the last one just before 11:00 a.m. She explained that she had been waiting in line since 8:45 a.m. When she was told that she was no longer needed, the woman responded with a regretful "And I was so looking forward to it."

The trial is scheduled for two days. The verdicts are expected on May 7.

(APA/Red)

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