Shots Fired at Car in Vorarlberg: Charges Filed for Attempted Murder

Drug Dispute as Trigger

The men in the second vehicle "stopped briefly, but made off before police arrived." Extensive investigations then followed, leading to a recent arrest and search operation. On 8 July, police carried out four house searches in Hohenems and Bludenz on the basis of court orders.

During the searches, "officers came across several firearms as well as a larger quantity of narcotics and cash." During the operation, the 32-year-old and a 38-year-old second suspect were taken into custody as accused persons. The 32-year-old "confessed" and was, according to police, remanded to Feldkirch correctional facility on the orders of the public prosecutor's office.

Arrests and House Searches

The investigations target the two men for different offences: the 32-year-old will be charged "with attempted murder." The 38-year-old is "at liberty" and will face charges under the Narcotic Substances Act. This means only one of the two is in custody, while the second alleged accomplice remains at large for the time being.

The background to the confrontation was a drug deal on 23 November at a parking lot in Rankweil. Rankweil is located in the Feldkirch district. The crime itself took place during the drive to Göfis, also in the Feldkirch district. The further searches were carried out in Hohenems and Bludenz, both locations in Vorarlberg.

Indictment and Further Proceedings

Police stressed that no one was injured. Nevertheless, the public prosecutor's office classifies the conduct as attempted murder, since shots were fired from a moving car at another vehicle — an act that under Austrian law can justify a serious charge. The investigation against the 38-year-old for violations of the Narcotic Substances Act is proceeding separately.

With the 32-year-old's confession, a key piece of evidence for the prosecution is in hand. Whether the case goes to trial and how the evidence against the 38-year-old shapes up will depend on the progress of the investigation. The police have so far not released the names of those involved; nor did they provide any information about their background or exact role in the alleged drug deal.

Police in Vorarlberg see the case as the result of months of investigative work. The four house searches on 8 July uncovered both firearms and narcotics and cash. The police have not disclosed in their statement so far how much money and what quantities of drugs were seized. Nor did they provide further details on the type of firearm used or the number of shots fired.

The incident is part of a series of violent offences in the context of drug deals in Vorarlberg, though authorities are not currently drawing any direct comparison. What is clear: a young man and a teenage girl were caught in the crossfire of a conflict that did not concern them, and came through the shooting and the subsequent crash with nothing worse than a fright.

A formal indictment and a decision on the 38-year-old's pretrial detention are expected in the coming weeks. Should proceedings against the 32-year-old be opened, a sentence in the multi-year range is possible, given that the charge of attempted murder is on the table. Further details, such as on possible accomplices or the background to the drug deal, the police did not wish to provide at this point in time.