Young men as perpetrators

Pupils fired at with a blank-firing pistol

Large blue light operation Wednesday evening in Knittelfeld, the police have already been able to arrest the young offenders.(Bild: Andi Schiel)

A severe shock for a group of schoolchildren in Knittelfeld: a man fired several shots from a passing car, a passenger gesticulated threateningly with a knife. A large-scale police operation was the result.

The incident took place shortly after 9 pm. Five students were in front of the vocational school at the time. When a black car drove past the school, one of the occupants is said to have suddenly shot out of the open window in the direction of the pupils. At the same time, the passenger is said to have demonstratively held a knife in his hand. The frightened teenagers immediately informed the police.

An immediate manhunt led to the suspicious vehicle being stopped. Murtal police officers seized two alarm guns and a folding knife (blade length ten centimeters) in the vehicle. The three suspects, two Austrians and a Turk, were immediately questioned about the facts of the case. The possible motive for the crime could be a desire for special attention. Further questioning is still required.

Provisional weapons ban 
A provisional weapons ban was issued against the suspects. Once the investigation has been completed, the suspects, who live in the Murtal district, will be reported to the public prosecutor's office in Leoben.