Investigators see gang war as motive for shooting of 22-year-old in Kreuzberg café

Background: Two rival groups

On the late evening of 7 August 2026, the 22-year-old was shot in a café in the Graefekiez. Rescue workers brought the man to a hospital, where he is being treated. The murder commission of the Berlin State Criminal Police Office has taken over the investigation. No official information was initially released about the exact course of events or possible arrests.

The shooting has once again triggered concern in the already tense neighborhood. Residents report an escalation that has been ongoing for months between rival groups, which have also clashed in the open street. Police had already previously classified the Graefekiez as a focal area for organized crime.

Other criminal networks in the Kiez

In addition to the conflict between the Remmo clan and the gang from the neighboring settlement, other criminal networks are active in the Kiez. As the Tagesspiegel information service further reports, Turkish-origin networks such as the "Daltons" and their most active splinter group, the "Ezgins," operate there. These groups are said to "Schutzgeld von Gewerbetreibenden mit türkischen Wurzeln" demand.

Police face the challenge of separating the rival groups and getting the violence under control. In recent weeks, police have been repeatedly present in the Graefekiez to prevent clashes. A police spokeswoman said the situation was being taken "sehr ernst" and that presence in the neighborhood was being increased.

Residents criticize the authorities for having reacted too late to the development. Initiatives from the Kiez have long been calling for more prevention, social work, and better lighting of public spaces. The latest act of violence is likely to further intensify the debate about security in Kreuzberg.

Investigations and reactions from the authorities

The Remmo clan is one of the best-known criminal clans in Berlin and most recently made national headlines through, among other things, the theft from the Green Vault in Dresden. According to the investigators' assessment, the gang from the Werner-Düttmann-Siedlung represents a younger generation of offenders who want to use the vacuum in the Kiez for themselves.

The Prosecutor General's Office and the State Criminal Police Office are now investigating in all directions. In addition to the question of the direct shooters, it is also about what role the protection money extortion by the "Daltons" and "Ezgins" plays in the overall complex. Whether there are further victims or arrests was initially unclear.

The Berlin Senate Department of the Interior announced that the Graefekiez would continue to be monitored more intensively in the coming days. At the same time, social workers and street workers are to be present in the neighborhood, in particular to dissuade young people from radicalization or involvement in criminal structures.

Investigators are asking witnesses who can provide information about the course of events to contact the murder commission. Observations from the hours before and after the shooting on 7 August as well as possible connections between the groups involved are of particular relevance.