Threats Against Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial - Cobra and Police in Action

A 20-year-old has been taken into custody after making threats against the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial in Upper Austria. The man was working as a civilian service worker at the facility and is said to have announced a "serious act of violence with firearms against other employees of the memorial," the police reported on Tuesday.

The threat dates back to September 9. According to the Linz public prosecutor's office, the man had told several people that he had access to a weapon and would shoot all the employees of the memorial. Later, he followed up with a WhatsApp message in which he posted a photo of a weapon with the note that he meant it seriously.

Officials of Mauthausen concentration camp memorial notified police

The officials of the concentration camp memorial immediately notified the police. The civilian service worker had already left the memorial by then. At the time of the threat, there was no immediate danger to the employees and visitors, according to the police in a statement.

On the orders of the Linz public prosecutor's office, the young man from the Mühlviertel was arrested shortly thereafter at his residence by Cobra and police. He offered no resistance and is currently in custody. The previously unblemished 20-year-old has already been questioned. He admits the sequence of events but claims he only meant it as a joke. He is being investigated on suspicion of making dangerous threats.

The weapon in the posted picture belongs to the father of the civil servant, confirmed the public prosecutor's office in a report by the "Oberösterreichische Nachrichten". The father legally owns the pistol, and the young man did not have access to it.

"Deeply Shocking"

Barbara Glück, director of the Mauthausen Memorial, also confirmed the incident. After she and other members of the management were informed about the incident on September 9, the police were immediately notified. She thanked the authorities for their swift action and hopes for "a complete clarification of this incident, as the background and motivation are still completely unclear to us".

"As the director of the memorial, the safety of my employees is my top priority," emphasized Glück. "That this safety has been questioned and threatened is deeply shocking to me." The staff was informed immediately, and there is "continuous internal and external coordination on the further course of action". The Mauthausen Memorial usually employs eight civil servants.

The SPÖ spokesperson for remembrance culture, Sabine Schatz, expressed her shock over the threat in a statement. The incident unfortunately once again shows how important the government's planned tightening of the gun law is, which is to be decided in the National Council's Interior Committee this week.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.