Cruel attack

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(Bild: P. Huber)

A 38-year-old man from Graz allegedly shot at his girlfriend (42) with a bow and arrow on Sunday and seriously injured her. A manhunt was launched - in the course of which the suspect was apprehended and finally stopped by police gunfire.

"Shortly before 7 a.m., the 42-year-old alerted the police herself via an emergency call. She stated with difficulty that she had been shot at with a bow and arrow in an apartment and seriously injured," reported the Styrian police.

As it turned out at the scene, the man had probably shot two arrows at the woman with a bow - with both arrows penetrating the woman's upper body.

Victim apparently stable
The critically injured 42-year-old woman was immediately given emergency medical treatment and taken to Graz Regional Hospital. She underwent emergency surgery there on Sunday. According to the latest information, she is now in a critical but stable condition.

Helicopter found getaway car near Fehring
The 38-year-old suspect fled in a car immediately after the crime. He also had a firearm with him, according to the police. Shortly before 7 p.m., a police helicopter crew finally spotted the getaway vehicle at the edge of a forest near Fehring.

Suspect in mortal danger
"Special forces from the Cobra task force and the Rapid Intervention Group (SIG) approached the getaway vehicle and confronted the gunman, also firing a shot at the suspect. He was seriously injured and received immediate medical treatment from an emergency doctor. A rescue helicopter flew the 38-year-old to Graz Regional Hospital that evening. His life is in danger and he is currently receiving intensive medical care," the police report continues.

No interrogations possible yet
The background to the crime is unclear. However, it has since emerged that both the injured person and the attacker are likely to be part of the drug scene. Both are Austrian and come from Graz. "Both the victim and the suspect have not yet been interviewed", explains police spokesman Sabri Yorgun. 

It has now been revealed that the 38-year-old was armed with a sawed-off shotgun and a deceptively real-looking alarm gun. "The exact background to the shooting is still under investigation," says Yorgun. The man and the woman were apparently a couple, but had not been together for long.