According to prosecutor Iris Janke, the suspected Offenburg shooter fired shots at the back of his victim’s head. The fatal attack on a classmate shows that there is considerable potential for aggression. “Both against others and against yourself,” said Janke.
The 15-year-old deliberately went into the classroom on Thursday and shot in the presence of his classmates. The parents are also being investigated, including for negligent homicide. The 15-year-old victim was hit by two shots, investigators had already said.
The 15-year-old has not yet commented
The investigation against the parents also included allegations of crimes under the Weapons Act, said public prosecutor Martin Seifert. Both parents do not have a firearms license, it said. The semi-automatic self-loading weapon, a Beretta, came from the domestic environment. It is unclear exactly where the weapon came from and how long it was in the family’s possession. The question of whether the 15-year-old had anyone in the know is also being investigated.
Until the incident, the German suspect had been inconspicuous, said Janke. The young person was never conspicuous for any aggression-related crimes. So far, the 15-year-old has not commented on the allegations. According to investigators, 50 unfired cartridges were found at the school.
Janke also made it clear that this was a case under juvenile criminal law. This is subject to strict rules. For example, there are guidelines for the investigators’ information policy. If the young person comments, nothing will be announced.
In addition, a 15-year-old must also be checked to see whether he was sufficiently mature to be able to understand his alleged crime. This is particularly true with such a serious accusation, said Janke. According to the public prosecutor’s office, an expert will now clarify this. This should also investigate whether the suspect was in a “psychopathological state” when the crime was committed. In Germany, young people aged 14 and over are of criminal responsibility.
“Scars will remain”
The teenager is in custody on suspicion of manslaughter. Janke explained that nothing has changed about the accusation so far. If the suspicion is confirmed, there is a risk of a maximum prison sentence of ten years under juvenile criminal law.
According to the authorities, it is also planned for the next few days to have the students picked up from school by their class teachers and accompanied to the classrooms. School psychologists are on site. There will be more and more lessons, said Werner Nagel from the Freiburg regional council. However, it is still true that the school community is mourning the loss of a classmate. Baden-Württemberg’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) is due to inform the state parliament’s Interior Committee about the investigation on Wednesday.
The head of the Offenburg police headquarters, Jürgen Rieger, said it was not an easy moment for him and his colleagues. “Because the sympathy for this act naturally lies with the young people, the family and the students at the school affected.” It was a dramatic experience. “There will be scars.”
