Blood revenge for murdered cousin: Perpetrators were subject to deportation

2026-07-15

German prosecutors have charged three brothers with murder over the fatal shooting of a 44-year-old businessman in Berlin, alleging the killing was an act of blood revenge for the death of their cousin months earlier.

According to investigators, the suspects, aged 23, 25, and 32, spent months planning the attack. Prosecutors say they monitored the victim's movements before ambushing him on January 31, 2026, outside his home in the Berlin district of Weißensee. The 44-year-old was sitting in the driver's seat of his delivery van when multiple shots were fired, killing him at the scene.

Authorities believe the motive was revenge for the death of the suspects' 31-year-old cousin, who was fatally stabbed during a violent confrontation involving dozens of people outside a restaurant in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen in July 2025. Prosecutors said the victim belonged to the family the suspects blamed for their cousin's death, although the original dispute remains unclear.

Investigators allege the brothers tried to destroy evidence by setting their getaway vehicle on fire after the shooting. Following a lengthy investigation, all three suspects were arrested at different times and remain in pre-trial detention. Prosecutors said none of the accused had previous criminal convictions.

The case has also drawn attention because the suspects were reportedly under orders to leave Germany at the time of the crime. The Berlin Regional Court (Landgericht Berlin – Berlin Regional Court) will now decide whether to open formal trial proceedings against the three brothers, who face murder and related charges.