German gunman kills landlord, bailiff, locksmith, girlfriend and himself during apartment eviction

 

A heavily armed man whose girlfriend was being evicted from her apartment today killed four people, including the new owner and a court bailiff who were shot execution style, before turning a shotgun on himself, German authorities said.

A commando team stormed the apartment in the southern German city of Karlsruhe, but the 53-year-old gunman and the victims were already dead.

Also killed were the girlfriend, a 55-year-old woman who was found on her bed with a gunshot wound to her chest, near the gunman's body.

The bailiff and new owner were found with their hands bound on a couch, dead from gunshot wounds to the head. A locksmith was found dead on the floor.

"It was a terrible crime," said Hildegard Gerecke, the Karlsruhe police chief.

"Nothing could be done to stop it and nothing could be done to save them."

She said the suspect, whose name wasn't released in accordance with German privacy laws, had no history of violence that would have made the bailiff and the others expect any danger.

The apartment is in a building that was once part of the US Army's Paul Revere Village and used to house troops.

The woman had fallen behind on payments and the apartment was sold at foreclosure auction. At about 8 am the bailiff, a locksmith and a social worker showed up to evict her.

When nobody opened the door they began trying to force the lock, then the suspect opened the door and ushered them in, said deputy police chief Roland Lay, who ran the operation.

The new owner of the apartment, a 49-year-old man, showed up minutes later.

Once all were inside the suspect told them to sit but when the bailiff refused, the suspect went into another room, grabbed a pistol, and shot him twice in the thigh, Lay said.

A struggle for the pistol ensued with the 33-year-old locksmith, and the suspect shot him four or five times, including in the head.

About 45 minutes later, after binding the hands of the others and putting them on the couch, the suspect let the social worker go and he informed police of the shootings.

Police tried to make contact with the suspect on the cell phones of his captives and the apartment's phone, but nobody answered, Lay said.

About ten minutes before noon, when they smelled smoke from the apartment, they used explosives to blow through the door and stormed in, finding the carpet on fire and the grisly scene, he said.

In addition to the shotgun, police found a rifle with a long magazine, two pistols, a dummy hand grenade and a lot of ammunition, Lay said.

Authorities said the suspect shared his time between Karlsruhe and the nearby Alsace region of neighboring France. It was not yet clear where the man got the weapons, which were not registered.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Top stories
News in pictures
World news in pictures
UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures
More stories
       
Independent
Travel Shop
South Africa
15 nights from only £1,899pp Find out more
Paris and the Cote d’Azur city break
Seven nights from £579pp Find out more
Seville, Granada and Malaga break
Seven nights from £549pp Find out more
Independent Dating
and  

By clicking 'Search' you
are agreeing to our
Terms of Use.

iJobs Job Widget
iJobs General

PHP/ Drupal Developer - £35k - WC

£30000 - £40000 per annum + BENS: Progressive Recruitment: Drupal Developer A ...

C# WEB DEVELOPER

£45000 - £50000 per annum + bens: Progressive Recruitment: C# WEB DEVELOPER Le...

WPF Developer (C#, VB.Net) - North East - 6 Months

£240 - £260 per day: Progressive Recruitment: WPF Developer (C#, VB.Net) North...

KS2 PPA teacher

£85 - £120 per day: Randstad Education Cheshire: KS2 teacher needed to do PPA ...

Day In a Page

The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act

The price of pacifism

From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.
'It was mass hysteria': Jason Isaacs on groupies, theatre bores and snogging James Bond

Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond

To millions, Jason Isaacs is one of Harry Potter's arch enemies – but his wife prefers him as a Scottish TV detective.
Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?

Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?

Thomas Hodgkinson spent a week at the tiny platform off the Suffolk coast to find out.
Not a bad bone: Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

If you ignore cutlets and ribs, you'll risk missing out on some delicious and easy meals, says our chef.
Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Doctors are hailing the revamp of a Bath neonatal unit, where babies sleep more and feed better, as the model for patient care
One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

Epecuen was submerged under 10 metres of water in 1985. Now the floods have gone – and 83-year-old Pablo Novak has moved back in
The real thing? Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'

The real thing?

Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'
Gordon Ramsey's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

Gordon Ramsay's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

The pugnacious chef finally met a shambolic restaurant he couldn't save. John Walsh on when TV makover refuseniks fight back
Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Glamorous myth of the flight attendant lifestyle undermined by angry employee's claims of 'exploitation'
Braising saddles: Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it!

Braising saddles: How to cook horse meat

Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it! Will Coldwell hoofs it to the kitchen.
Why bitters are back on the bar: A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails

Why bitters are back on the bar

A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails. No wonder we're learning to love them again...
The 10 Best barbecues

The 10 Best barbecues

Whether you're cooking on gas or are a convert to charcoal we've got the perfect way to cook when the sun is out.
Style icon David Beckham calls time on his long retirement

Style icon calls time on his long retirement

David Beckham never disgraced himself but former England captain ceased to be a major player years ago. Remember him at his United peak
Steve Harper: My darkest times

Steve Harper: My darkest times

As the popular Newcastle goalkeeper bows out after 20 years at the club, he tells Martin Hardy about the private battle with depression that threatened his career
Sir Torquil Norman has designed a flat-pack OX truck for the developing world

The flat-pack truck with big ambitions

After making a fortune from Polly Pocket and a doll's house shaped like a teapot, the entrepreneur has turned his creativity to a transporter truck for the developing world. Simon Usborne meets him.