Waiting for expert opinion

Shooting death in front of barracks: soldier remains in custody

The fatal shot was fired in the Türk barracks in Spittal an der Drau. It is not yet clear whether it was an accident or murder. In any case, the shooter is still in custody.(Bild: Elisa Aschbacher)

Following the shocking death drama in the guardroom of the Türk barracks in Spittal an der Drau, the pre-trial detention imposed on the suspected shooter has been extended by at least one month. 

"I can confirm that the pre-trial detention has been extended until 9 December 2024 due to the urgent suspicion of murder against the suspect," said Christian Liebhauser-Karl, spokesman for the Klagenfurt Regional Court, to the "Krone" newspaper. As reported in detail, the public prosecutor's office has considerable doubts about the 20-year-old guard soldier's accident theory.

According to this, Lukas P. had reached for the Glock pistol that had fallen to the ground, unintentionally pulled the trigger and fatally hit victim Mustafa P.. There was no rescue for the 21-year-old - the recruit, who had to report to the guardroom that afternoon due to a curfew, died.

The judge had approved the public prosecutor's application for pre-trial detention around two weeks ago. The reason given was that there was a risk of obscurity and risk of committing the crime. On Friday, the pre-trial detention was extended following a custody review. According to information from "Krone", the suspect's defense lawyer has not lodged an appeal against this.

Expert reports should be available in time 
The written reports of the autopsy and the weapons examinations should also be available by December 9. If these are completed sooner or if new investigative findings support the adventurous theory of the 20-year-old guard soldier, he could also be released from custody earlier. However, nobody is assuming this at the moment.