19-year-old fired blank gun from car in Traun

During a search of the vehicle, the emergency services found the blank gun as well as other objects that are now part of the ongoing investigation. The 21-year-old Syrian passenger from St. Pölten was also detained.

Investigations and legal consequences

Both men – the 19-year-old driver and the 21-year-old passenger – will be questioned by police regarding the incidents, according to police. The 19-year-old is being investigated on suspicion of prohibited use of a weapon.

The blank gun was seized. Whether the weapon is a blank-firing gun that requires a permit or a prohibited one is part of the ongoing criminal police investigation. The question of whether the shot was fired directly from the moving or stationary vehicle is also still under investigation.

Police response

The commuter parking lot where the incident occurred is located in the urban area of Traun in the district of Linz-Land. After the investigations are completed, the public prosecutor's office will decide on possible further legal steps.

Police pointed out in this context that even merely carrying or firing a blank gun in public spaces can result in criminal consequences. Citizens who make suspicious observations are asked to notify the police immediately.

The incident is not connected to another event in Upper Austria, in which a 29-year-old man from the Innviertel region died in a motorcycle accident over the weekend. A vehicle rollover in Bad Ischl and a fall on the Großer Pyhrgas resulting in injury to a 60-year-old are also being handled separately by police.

The investigations by Traun police are ongoing. Further information is expected to be released during the day.