Two men shot dead

Murder in Upper Austria: perpetrator is on the run

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/LAUMAT/MATTHIAS LAUBER, LPD ÖÖ)

Major operation since Monday morning in Upper Austria: shots were fired in the district of Rohrbach, the emergency services found a body shortly afterwards. The victim is the mayor of the municipality of Kirchberg ob der Donau. The perpetrator shot another person as he fled and the police are searching for the 56-year-old. The search for the suspected perpetrator continued during the night. 

The most important facts at a glance:

• The suspected perpetrator Roland Drexler (56) is on the run and is considered very dangerous. The police have also published a mugshot of the man (see below).
• The first crime scene was in the neighboring community of Altenfelden in the middle of a meadow, around 500 meters from the main road.
• The first victim was the mayor of Kirchberg ob der Donau, Franz Hofer. He had been the head of the village since 2008 and the community is in deep mourning.
• Late in the morning, it became known that the fugitive hunter had allegedly shot another person. The background to this is likely to be a long-standing dispute between the hunters, who have repeatedly reported each other. Now everything seems to have escalated.

Here you can read about the developments on Monday, 28.10:

Murder in Kirchberg ob der Donau, hunter shoots mayor

(Bild: Schütz Markus/Krone KREATIV)

The emergency services were called to the Mühlviertel on Monday morning.

(Bild: Schütz Markus)

A Cobra armored car also arrived.

(Bild: Markus Schütz, Krone KREATIV)

Shock in the party
Shock also at the ÖVP party headquarters in Linz. At 9.15 a.m., state party leader Florian Hiegelsberger learned of the assassination attempt: he had also been informed that the mayor of Kirchberg ob der Donau, Franz Hofer, had been shot. "It's madness," said Hiegelsberger in an initial reaction to the "Krone" newspaper.

In a very short time, Kirchberg ob der Donau has turned into a ghost town. Residents are hiding. The suspect is still on the run.

(Bild: Robert Loy)

Governor Thomas Stelzer has also been informed. His office confirmed to the "Krone" at 9.45 a.m. that the victim was the mayor of Kirchberg ob der Donau.

A manhunt is underway for this man. Information to the police number 133!

(Bild: LPD OÖ)

Shortly after 1 pm, a mugshot of the suspect was published. It is said to be 56-year-old Roland Drexler. He is believed to be driving a silver VW Caddy with the license plate RO-231EL. The police also warn: "Beware, the man is armed!"