Shock in Penzing: tram under fire - perpetrator arrested!

Shock in Penzing: tram under fire - perpetrator arrested!

In a troubling incident that took place in Vienna on Friday, a tram set on line 52 was shot at with a bullet. The projectile, which came from a small-caliber long weapon, hit a disc, flew through the passenger cabin and stepped out through the opposite disc. Glücklicherweise wurden die Fahrgäste dabei nicht verletzt, was viele als großes Glück betrachten, da es in dieser Zeit durchaus schlimmer hätte ausgehen können, wie heute.at berichtet.

The police were called to the incident at around 5 p.m. and a little later arrested a 36-year-old Polish suspect. He had stayed in a nearby coffee house where the police took him into custody. The suspect was confessed and described his action as a “Deppert”, such as meinzirk.at described in detail.

Investigations and arrests

The police blocked the crime scene for several hours and searched for adjacent houses, which also required the support of severe emergency services. A long weapon and numerous cartridges were secured during the searches. The suspect had legally obsessed this weapon, but he was already known in the past because of the abuse of addictive substances, can be concluded from the investigation.

It is particularly noteworthy that the man had 2.2 per thousand alcohol and drugs in his blood when arrested. This raises the question of whether these factors have played a role in the crime. It is now being held in custody for suspicion of attempted murder, whereby the court's decision is not yet final.

crime in Vienna

The incident reflects a worrying development because crime in Vienna increases as a whole. Around 528,000 crimes were reported in 2023, which has been the highest level since 2016. Over a third of these offenses are not necessary in Vienna. Drug crime is also a big issue: In the same year, around 35,400 crimes were reported in connection with drugs, which shows an increase compared to previous years, so Statista.com . In this tense situation, the police remain an important factor for public security, even if, according to surveys, 77% of Austrians have confidence in the police. The use of heavily armed forces in the event of incidents shows that the authorities take serious measures to ensure the safety of citizens. The case will remain in public for some time and toast the discussion about security and crime in the streets of Vienna.