Town in shock

Bloody deed in Carinthia: argument in a pub was the trigger

The crime in the small village took place at around 11 pm. The 43-year-old then called the emergency services and handed himself in to the police.(Bild: wikimedia.org)

Following the murder of a 36-year-old Carinthian man in Knappenberg (municipality of Hüttenberg, district of St. Veit an der Glan), the public prosecutor's office published details of the course of events on Saturday. 

There had been an argument between the 43-year-old suspect and the victim in a pub beforehand. When the older man left the pub, the younger man followed him to his house, where he was shot by the perpetrator at close range with a Flobert rifle that he had legally owned.

The 36-year-old victim was an acquaintance of the son of the alleged perpetrator's partner, announced Tina Frimmel-Hesse, spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in Klagenfurt. 

Argument continued outside the front door
After the argument in a pub, the 43-year-old Carinthian drove home, the later victim followed him with his partner's son. The argument continued outside the front door and three people allegedly threatened the man, according to his interrogation. The perpetrator then stepped out of the house with a gun and fired a shot into the opponent's chest at close range, killing him instantly.

The crime took place at around 11 pm. The 43-year-old then called the emergency services and handed himself in to the police. Alcohol is said to have been involved in the crime. The victim himself was active and well-known in the racing scene - as evidenced by condolences and shocking posts on social media.

According to Frimmel-Hesse, the accused has already been taken to prison, and a decision on his detention is to be made on Sunday. The public prosecutor's office has not yet been able to provide any information about the content of the dispute.