Breaking: Chechen duo charged in Vienna's Anton Kummerer Park shootout
Escalating Violence: Suspect Chechens Defend Themselves Against Allegations
The controversial trial for two Chechen men takes off in Vienna's Regional Court. The accused, aged 29 and 30, are facing charges of attempted murder, following a chaotic incident that rocked Anton Kummerer Park in the summer of 2024.
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The defendants, represented by lawyers Alexander Philipp and Florian Kreiner, refused to admit their guilt. The younger man argued that he and his companions avoided the park as they witnessed a brutal melee involving Syrians, armed with makeshift weapons. "Such a spectacle was repulsive," he testified.
30-year-oldedly opened fire
The older defendant faces accusations of firing at least half a dozen rounds from a pistol, narrowly missing his targets. Two of the Syrians sustained minor injuries from ricocheting bullets; one a deep shrapnel wound to the chest, the other a superficial cut on the right thigh.
The 30-year-old confessed to driving his dark BMW to the park but claimed he merely learned of his younger brother's predicament from a compatriot. They decided to investigate, accompanied by another Chechen friend who was at the gym.
A hasty, self-preservation retreat
Upon arrival, the older man's companions brandished stun guns and plunged into the park. Suddenly, he heard gunshots. "I hopped in my car and sped off in a matter of seconds. I didn't want my vehicle to suffer any damage," he stated. He also acknowledged his arrest subsequent to the incident and subsequent remand in custody.
The 29-year-old, who remains tight-lipped until now, claims to have accompanied his friend of 14 years, knowing about the plan, but insists he was accompanying a female companion, with whom he had arranged to meet near a pizza place. "Suddenly, everyone rushed into the park. I wanted to catch a glimpse of the action, then I heard pops and gunshots," he testified. Upon witnessing men of "Mediterranean descent," he and his companion fled to watch a football match in a nearby beer garden.
An alibi for the fanny pack and a spray of gunpowder
The 29-year-old remains incriminated based on call data analysis results and the discovery of his fanny pack in the main defendant's car. He explains that he had accidentally left the bag in the vehicle while meeting his friend earlier that day. His lawyer, Florian Kreiner, appears optimistic about an acquittal: "He neither participated, fought, nor was anywhere near the shots."
The statements of witnesses and ballistic reports contradict the younger defendant, with gun powder residue found on his clothing and the steering wheel of his car. The older man and his lawyer, Alexander Philipp, argue that he had gone to Bratislava the previous day and tested several weapons at a shooting range. Soon before his arrest, he had allegedly cleaned his own gun at home.
Witnesses in the case describe the older man's dark BMW and claim that three men armed with pistols emerged from the vehicle and entered the park. However, the witnesses failed to identify the older man during a lineup, suggesting potential confusion or inconsistencies in their testimonies. Consequently, the older man's legal representative also anticipates an acquittal.
The verdict awaits in a two-day trial concluding on May 7th
The trial proceedings are scheduled to span two days, with a verdict expected on May 7th. The trial's outcome will likely shed more light on the incidents that transpired inside Anton Kummerer Park, a park witnessing a slew of criminal activities in recent years.
- The 30-year-old defendant admitted driving his dark BMW to Anton Kummerer Park, where he reportedly fired at least half a dozen rounds from a pistol.
- The older defendant's lawyer, Alexander Philipp, argues that his client had gone to Bratislava the previous day and tested several weapons at a shooting range, suggesting the gun powder residue found on his clothing and car could have come from there.
- The trial for the two Chechen men, charged with attempted murder following a chaotic shootout in Vienna's Anton Kummerer Park, is taking place in Vienna's Regional Court, with the outcome of the trial expected on May 7th.
- The younger defendant, represented by lawyer Florian Kreiner, claims he was accompanying a female companion when he heard gunshots and fled the scene to watch a football match in a nearby beer garden, but witnesses' statements and ballistic reports contradict his account.
