Bloodshed in the Innviertel region

Grandfather (82) shot his own granddaughter in the stomach

The violent crime took place in an assisted living facility in the Braunau district.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

A horrific act of violence took place on Friday afternoon in the Innviertel region: an 82-year-old man is alleged to have pulled out his gun and shot his granddaughter (30) in the stomach following an argument. The perpetrator's grandmother and wife had to witness the entire incident. The "Krone" newspaper has the initial details. 

An argument between two family members ended in a horrific act of violence on Friday afternoon in an assisted living facility for the elderly in a community in the Innviertel region in the district of Braunau. The 30-year-old from Salzburg visited her 78-year-old grandmother in her apartment in a multi-generational house in Lengau around noon on Friday.

After they had lunch together, the 82-year-old grandfather arrived, sat down on a sofa in the living room, and initially listened to the conversation between the grandmother and granddaughter without comment.

Grandfather legally owned the murder weapon
When the 30-year-old wanted to leave the apartment at around 1:55 p.m., the senior citizen grabbed a firearm—which he is said to have owned legally—and pulled the trigger. The granddaughter was hit in the stomach and collapsed, wounded. The shooter then killed himself with the weapon. Arriving emergency responders treated the shooting victim, who was flown to the hospital in Salzburg by rescue helicopter after receiving initial treatment for serious injuries.

Dispute over money
The police have launched an investigation to reconstruct the exact circumstances and motive for the crime. During questioning, the grandmother and spouse stated that a dispute over a low three-digit sum of money was a possible motive for the crime.

The building in the small Innviertel community where the shooting took place houses apartments for seniors as well as a day care center.

When family members resort to violence
Time and again, capital crimes are committed within families. In October last year, a 78-year-old pensioner in Enns killed his 70-year-old wife and their 41-year-old son with a knife. In the fall of 2024, an 82-year-old man in Perg shot his wife and himself with a Flobert rifle. The elderly couple's disabled daughter (57) was found dead in the basement of the house – she is believed to have starved to death.