Shots from the balcony in Görlitz: Police investigated three suspects

Shots from the balcony in Görlitz: Police investigated three suspects

Görlitz, Deutschland - On Thursday afternoon there was a explosive incident in Görlitz. According to MDR shots from a balcony of a residential building were handed over. Fortunately, the police, who reacted quickly and called off the area as well as specially trained emergency services, that no one was injured.

In the apartment in question, three people were. The investigators found an air rifle including ammunition, which was ensured to determine the exact circumstances of the incident. One person is said to have shot with this compressed air weapon on the Landeskronstrasse, as the Blick further reports. The police have initiated an investigation into possible violations of the weapons law and attempted dangerous bodily harm. The criminal service Görlitz has taken over the investigations and will have to clarify who has heard the weapon and who actually shot.

background to the weapon situation in Germany

This incident also takes a look at the general weapons law in Germany. Firearms, including both short guns and pistols and long weapons such as rifles, are subject to strict regulations. If you want to obtain a weapon permit, you have to meet various prerequisites, including the 18th year of life, personal suitability and the proof of weapons law knowledge. These provisions are necessary to get the dangers that go from firearms. Statista says that around 5.5 million private firearms were registered in Germany alone in the middle of 2024. In 2023 there were over 9,100 offenses with the use of firearms. In addition, firearm crime was at the highest level since 2019.

It remains to be hoped that the investigation in Görlitz will quickly lead to results in order to obtain clarity about the background of this incident. The events strongly remind us of how important the responsible handling of weapons is. After all, everyone should know: security is proceeding, and not only when dealing with air rifles!