Targeted shooting

Salzburg resident shoots burglar: murder charge

The scene of the crime in Salzburg-Gnigl: It happened in this residential building.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

The public prosecutor's office has taken a firm stance in the sensational criminal case surrounding a burglar shot dead in Salzburg: the homeowner (66), who shot the fleeing criminal (31) and fatally hit him in the back of the head, is alleged to have acted with intent to kill. He is now charged with murder. 

The Salzburg homeowner fired two warning shots and one targeted shot from a kneeling position at the Hungarian burglar who was fleeing with his girlfriend: because the criminal did not respond to the local resident's "Hey, stop," according to the nine-page indictment by the Salzburg public prosecutor's office. Driven by "anger and indignation," the 66-year-old did not want to let the burglar escape that day.

The defendant had previously claimed self-defense
The Salzburg public prosecutor's office recognizes this as intent to kill on the part of the defendant and accuses him of the crime of murder. The targeted shooting was not carried out out of fear or in response to an attack by the burglar, but only to prevent the burglar from escaping, according to the indictment. Until now, the defendant himself had spoken of self-defense and a knife attack by the burglar. His defense attorney, Kurt Jelinek, further emphasizes: "My client was in an absolutely exceptional situation. In my view, this was a case of self-defense or the mistaken assumption of a self-defense situation." 

Third shot was deliberate
The sensational criminal case took place on the afternoon of July 31, 2025: According to the investigation, the Hungarian man and his partner had discovered that the 66-year-old's house was unoccupied and decided to break in. They entered the garden through a hole in the fence and then entered the house. The Hungarian man returned with a backpack full of stolen goods, put it down, and went back into the house to steal more. At that very moment, the 66-year-old returned home from a birthday party. Shortly after unlocking the front door, the homeowner must have noticed the break-in.

The scene of the crime in Salzburg-Gnigl: it happened in this residential building.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

He heard voices, then took his loaded 9mm Walther pistol out of a box and apparently fired a shot in the direction of the room where he suspected the burglars were. However, investigators were unable to find a corresponding bullet hole. The Hungarian man and his girlfriend then dropped the stolen goods and immediately fled towards the garden. The homeowner pursued the pair of thieves. As the two ran through the garden, the 66-year-old shouted from the terrace, "Hey, stop!"

Emergency services at the scene(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

But the Hungarian did not react and continued to run. The defendant then fired two warning shots next to the burglar's body. As the Hungarian continued to flee, the 66-year-old knelt down, according to the indictment, in order to "have a better aim," as leaves and branches from a tree were obstructing his view. The bullet entered the back of the 31-year-old's head. The Hungarian later died in hospital. According to the indictment, "the defendant was neither attacked nor did he believe he was being attacked." According to the investigation, the burglar did not have a knife in his hand, as claimed by the shooter. 

Now a jury will decide on the charges in a trial. A date for the trial has not yet been set. If convicted, the 66-year-old faces between ten and 20 years or life imprisonment.