What happens next?

After violent excesses: A new crime scene every day

The police were also on site at Vienna's Yppenplatz with a large contingent.(Bild: APA/ALEX HALADA / APA / picturedesk.com)

After shootings in the Vienna districts of Brigittenau and Meidling, the latest violent excess at Ottakringer Yppenplatz claimed two more victims. Solutions for more security are now being discussed. 

The two victims (18 and 22 years old) have not yet been questioned after the violent attack on Yppenplatz. Their state of health does not yet allow it. Over the course of the week, however, they will have to answer many questions from the police experts. These concern the potential perpetrator on the one hand and a rucksack full of drugs found at the scene on the other.

Did a deal go wrong here?
Did a deal go wrong here? It is still speculation. There is also no information about the nationalities for the time being. Was it possibly another gang dispute? What is certain is that the spiral of violence continued in the latest case. The level of brutality should definitely set alarm bells ringing for those involved in the federal government and the city.

I call for a general ban on weapons throughout the city. This ban must be consistently and completely controlled by the police.

Bürgermeister Michael Ludwig (SPÖ)

Bild: APA/FLORIAN WIESER

Could have ended in disaster
The incident at Yppenplatz in particular could have quickly turned uninvolved market visitors into victims. For investigative reasons, the police do not yet want to give any details about the weapon used. However, a stray bullet could have quickly led to a catastrophe at the extremely busy Yppenplatz. Thanks to the rapid intervention of the police, worse was prevented. They are now also involved in the search for the perpetrators. "We are currently questioning witnesses and securing evidence such as videos from cameras or smartphones," said a spokeswoman.

Is a large-scale weapons ban zone the solution(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

Gangs or clans at work?
But what will happen after these three brutal shootings in Vienna? Will the scene shift because of the gun ban zone in Favoriten? And are the youth gangs now arming themselves because of the tougher approach of the police? The Director General for Public Safety, Franz Ruf, does not yet want to talk about clan crime, such as in Germany: "We have not reached that level in Vienna." While in Meidling and Brigittenau it was probably an ethnic dispute, the background in Ottakring is not yet clear.

(Bild: APA/Sandera Walder)

Forensics at the Yppenplatz crime scene in Ottakring(Bild: APA/Alex Halada)

Call for quick solutions
District leader Stefanie Lamp (SPÖ): "It is our job as politicians to ensure safe coexistence on streets and squares. I am therefore working closely with the police, the mayor and other district leaders to take further measures against crime in public spaces. This will not be possible without active action by the federal government."

For the district ÖVP, the problems are partly home-made. Club chairman Stefan Trittner: "The problems in the district with drug dealing, alcohol excesses and violence have been known for a long time and have now reached a new peak." He is calling for an immediate ban on alcohol, a weapons ban zone and a social work concept.