Memories of 2013

Poacher Alois H. left a deadly trail of blood in Lower Austria

Poacher Alois H. ended his life in a bunker in his hunting lodge.

(Bild: Franz Crepaz, Paul Plutsch)

The rampage of a hunter in the Mühlviertel region on Monday brings back memories of a case that took place eleven years ago in Lower Austria. Back then, three police officers and a paramedic were killed by a poacher near Annaberg.

The poacher, who had been killing deer for years in Lower Austria and Styria and cutting off the animals' heads as trophies, stumbled into a police checkpoint near Annaberg shortly after midnight on September 17, 2013. But when the game shooter, who was being hunted by the police, stopped, he went berserk and broke through the barrier.

A killing spree kept the country on tenterhooks
A murderous rampage began that kept the whole country on tenterhooks for around 24 hours. Although the initially unknown phantom had already shot and seriously injured a heavily armed officer of the elite Cobra unit, he did not flee at all, but lay in wait in the forest and then in his own hunting lodge.

As the gunman subsequently fired from his hiding place at police officers, firefighters and rescue workers - at practically anything that moved - the incident command even called for support from the army, i.e. a tank. On the second day of the rampage, the tracked vehicle broke through the walls of the hideout and special units combed the area.

Three police officers and a paramedic died
After a long search, the charred body of Alois H. was finally found in a secret bunker. He had set the fire and put a bullet in his head. The sad result of this horrific act: three police officers and a paramedic died. Subsequently, a number of technical, tactical and organizational innovations were introduced in police work throughout the country.