Croatian criminal kills Afghan youth in Linz
Austria remains in shock after a deadly knife attack in the city center of Linz. A 34-year-old Croatian suspect was arrested after the violent incident, and authorities have since revealed that he has multiple previous convictions.
Investigators confirmed that the suspect already had four prior convictions, including several cases involving violence. His first conviction dates back to 2010 when he was still under juvenile criminal law. At that time, he received a partially suspended prison sentence for intentionally causing serious bodily harm.
In the years that followed, the man was fined twice for drug-related and property offenses. The most serious previous incident occurred in 2017 when he allegedly stabbed an unknown man in the stomach with a knife. In 2018, a court sentenced him to two years in prison for intentional grievous bodily harm.
According to investigators, the latest attack began on Saturday evening when the suspect allegedly verbally abused a driver on Bismarckstraße (Bismarck Street) in the center of Linz (Linz City). Three young Afghan men witnessed the argument and confronted him before entering a nearby barbershop. Authorities believe the suspect followed them and waited outside.
When the men later left the shop, the situation quickly escalated. The suspect allegedly stabbed a 24-year-old man in the neck from behind. During the chaos, another man, aged 26, fell while trying to flee. The attacker reportedly kicked him in the head and stabbed him in the upper body before escaping. Police later arrested the suspect, who confessed during questioning, while claiming he suffers from mental health problems. The 26-year-old victim died shortly after being taken to hospital, and prosecutors are now seeking to place the suspect in pretrial detention.