In the trial against the suspected terrorist group around Henry XIII. Prince Reuss has begun taking evidence against a suspected “Reich citizen” from Reutlingen. The man is said to have shot several times with a semi-automatic rapid-fire rifle at police officers from a special operations squad during a raid on the scene in March last year, injuring two of them. The 47-year-old is therefore standing before the Higher Regional Court in Stuttgart on charges of attempted murder. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office sees this incident as evidence of the group’s dangerousness.

The dramatic shooting in the man’s apartment can also be seen on a police video that was shown in court on Wednesday. Screams can be heard and shots echo through the stairwell before the police initially retreat with one of the officers who were hit.

The trial in Stuttgart is the first of three mammoth proceedings against the alleged group of conspirators around Henry XIII. Prince Reuss. The total of 26 defendants are said to have planned a violent overthrow of the federal government. Reuss should have acted as the head of a new form of government. Ex-soldiers are also among the accused.

In Stuttgart it is primarily about the military arm of the group, which should have enforced the takeover of power by force of arms. The defendants are accused of membership in a terrorist organization and of so-called “preparation of a treasonous enterprise.” The trial against the alleged leadership begins next Tuesday in Frankfurt.

According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the sports shooter accused in Stuttgart joined the association in July 2022 at the latest. The 47-year-old is said to have had an arsenal of weapons – some of them were legal firearms and some were banned weapons. The man had announced that he wanted to remain silent during the trial.