Serbian gunman kills Chechen in restaurant in Vienna - large manhunt underway
Vienna witnessed a bloody shooting on Thursday evening inside a Turkish restaurant in the Ottakring district, resulting in the death of one man and serious injuries to another. The incident occurred on Veronikagasse street, where the victims were of Chechen descent, while the suspect – who is of Serbian nationality – fled the crime scene.
According to a statement from the Vienna police, the shooting occurred around 9:45 PM inside the restaurant. Upon the police's arrival, two men were found injured by gunfire, one of whom died at the scene before the ambulance teams arrived, while the other was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The news site oe24, which was the first to report the story, mentioned that the police set up a tent in front of the restaurant to remove the body, while security forces cordoned off the entire area on Thursday evening as forensic teams continued their work at the site.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident began with a heated argument between the victims and two other men known to the police. During the dispute, one of the suspects pulled out a firearm and fired several shots at the Chechen men, then he and his accomplice fled the scene.
Sources from the Turkish community in Vienna said that the suspected perpetrator holds Serbian nationality, but the police have not officially confirmed this information yet. The authorities have launched a wide manhunt involving special police units to find the perpetrator and his fleeing accomplice.
The Vienna State Criminal Police Office (Landeskriminalamt Wien) is investigating the case, while the motive for the crime remains unknown so far. This incident comes just one day after another murder occurred in a restaurant in the same Ottakring district, raising increasing concern among residents about the rise of violence in the area.