SEK surrounds house

Shock! Shots fired at the trial of a boxer who was killed

(Bild: dpa-Zentralbild/Hendrik Schmidt (Archivbild))

Large-scale police operation Wednesday afternoon in the German city of Bielefeld: shots were fired outside the regional court. According to eyewitnesses, several people are injured. Police and SEK are on the scene. The incident is connected to the trial of a professional boxer who has been dead since the morning hours.

As reported by "Bild" and "Neue Westfälische", the father and brother of a defendant in the so-called Nimani trial have been shot, and there is said to be another victim. According to the news agency dpa, one of the people is said to be critically injured.

Second wanted man holed up
According to dpa information, one suspect has been arrested. It is possible that a second wanted man has entrenched himself in a house in the immediate vicinity of the court. Heavily armed police officers have positioned themselves around the building in question. A police helicopter is circling above. 

According to "Bild", an amok alarm has been triggered in a nearby school. Pupils and teachers had to lock themselves in their classrooms because it could not be ruled out that the second wanted man was on the run.

"Someone is shooting outside!"
According to Bild, eyewitnesses reported that constables outside the courtroom door suddenly shouted: "Someone's shooting outside!" Apparently, shots were fired from a sidewalk, after which the shooter got into a getaway car and continued shooting from there. The newspaper "NW" also reported that an eyewitness had spoken of shots being fired from a car.

High security requirements for trial of boxer killed
The Bielefeld district court is currently hearing the murder of boxer Besar Nimani, who was shot dead in Bielefeld city center in March 2024. The trial is taking place under heavy security measures. Officers from a police task force secure the building and the courtroom. All visitors, co-plaintiffs and media representatives had to undergo a search before entering the courtroom.

According to the Bielefeld public prosecutor's office, two men allegedly ambushed the victim on March 9, 2024 and fired 16 shots in front of a store in Bielefeld's pedestrian zone according to a joint plan. The 38-year-old had previously parked his car nearby and walked towards the later crime scene. He bled to death at the scene. The motive is still unclear. The 34-year-old defendant, who is now charged with murder, has not yet commented on the accusation. Another suspect is still on the run.