Snapshot from Görlitz: Unknown shoots from the balcony – police on duty!

Snapshot from Görlitz: Unknown shoots from the balcony – police on duty!

On Thursday afternoon, June 26, 2025, there was a dramatic scene on the balcony of a residential building in Görlitz when an unknown person shot around with a compressed air weapon. At around 2 p.m., an alert neighbor heard the shots and immediately alerted the police. Several personnel carriers quickly arrived, including a team of specialized officers, the so-called LebEl forces, who are well equipped for life-threatening situations. This measure was necessary to defuse the situation as quickly as possible.

The police cordoned off the area around the house and took aggressive action against the potential threat. Three people were eventually found in the apartment in question. During the search it emerged that the compressed air weapon and the associated ammunition had been seized. Investigations are now underway to identify both the owner of the weapon and the shooter. It is noticeable that there was no certificate of ownership for the weapon, which could lead to additional legal problems. The police have initiated an investigation into attempted grievous bodily harm and a violation of the weapons law, with the Görlitz criminal investigation service taking charge of the case.

Shock calls in the Görlitz and Bautzen area

On the same day there was also a wave of shock calls in the Bautzen and Görlitz districts, which primarily affected the cities of Hoyerswerda, Kamenz, Weißwasser and Bautzen. Here the callers pretended to be criminal police or claimed that relatives had had an accident. In these calls, a deposit of between 5,000 and 130,000 euros was often requested in order to free the alleged perpetrators from custody. The police strongly warn against engaging in such fraud attempts and advise ending suspicious calls immediately.

All of these incidents once again demonstrated how important the attention of residents is. Your quick reaction can be crucial in potentially dangerous situations. The police are also sensitized and treat every report with the utmost seriousness.

Gun statistics and safety in focus

Such incidents also shed light on the general discussion about gun ownership and security in Germany. The Federal Office of Administration offers statistics on the weapons register on its platform. Federal and state gun ownership and violation metrics are available here. Especially in today's world, when we hear about unsafe situations and incidents again and again, it is important to consider the existing laws on the acquisition and possession of weapons as well as the possibilities for preventive measures. What counts here is the responsible use of weapons in order to rule out such unpleasant incidents as far as possible. Further information can be found on the [Federal Administration Office] website (https://www.bva.bund.de/DE/Das-BVA/Aufgabe/N/Nationales_Waffenregister/Statistiken/Statistiken_node.html).

Overall, the situation in Görlitz remains tense, but the police's quick and professional response shows that they are well prepared for such threats and are acting to ensure the safety of citizens. It remains to be hoped that such incidents will remain the exception and not the rule.

For further details about the incident in Görlitz you can contact Sächsische.de and Police Saxony.