Major police operation in Tyrol

Shot Fired at Hospital: Details on the Suspect and His Motives

The incident had triggered a large-scale police operation.(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

There was great commotion on Monday morning at the St. Johann District Hospital in Tyrol: A man who appeared to be mentally unstable walked around with a pistol, threatened staff, and ultimately fired a shot. Early Tuesday morning, investigators released further details regarding the suspect’s identity—and what he demanded.

A major emergency and a hospital in crisis mode: On Monday, many at the hospital in St. Johann in Tirol were deeply shaken. Heavily armed police officers and the Cobra special operations unit had been deployed after the police received an emergency call. Reports indicated an armed man was inside the hospital.

Local Man (56) Identified as “Gunman”
It is now clear: The suspect, who ultimately fired a shot, is a 56-year-old Austrian. The local man reportedly walked into the hospital around 9 a.m. in an “agitated state” and then entered a treatment room where two female doctors were present.

But what did the man want? “At that time, the suspect was armed with a pistol, which he ultimately pointed at one of the doctors and demanded that she call his wife,” explains lead investigator Philipp Rapold of the Tyrol State Criminal Police Office.

The bullet penetrated the partition wall and ultimately struck the masonry of the adjacent room.

Chefermittler Philipp Rapold

Bild: Johanna Birbaumer

The 56-year-old was eventually calmed down by the doctors, allowing them to leave the room under a pretext. The suspect remained alone in the treatment room.

There could have been fatalities
But then things suddenly became even more chaotic: After the emergency responders, who had arrived in the meantime, were able to make contact with the 56-year-old, a shot was fired. “The bullet was not fired in the direction of the officers, but penetrated the partition wall and ultimately struck the masonry of the adjacent room,” investigator Rapold continued.

A stroke of luck: Three people were in the second room at the time. However, they were not in the line of fire, so they were not in danger. Had any of these people been standing elsewhere, there could well have been a fatality. 

Several weapons seized
Immediately after the shots were fired, the suspect was overpowered and arrested by police officers. A provisional weapons ban was issued against the Austrian man. The legally owned weapons were seized. The exact motive remains completely unclear at this time. Further investigations by the State Criminal Police Office are underway. Fortunately, no one was injured in the shooting.

“Crisis situation in clinical psychology”
The hospital had already issued a statement late Monday morning. It stated that a “crisis situation involving an armed male individual” had occurred “in the clinical psychology department.” However, the individual was quickly subdued by police.

The incident is now being reviewed in collaboration with the relevant authorities as well as internally. As of Tuesday morning, the suspect was receiving medical treatment and was scheduled to be questioned later that day.