- Progressing smoothly with the 9th execution, here's the current known details concerning the Frankfurt homicide.
It's just your everyday commute, this Tuesday evening at Frankfurt's main station. It's just shy of 9 pm. Folks are traversing the station hall, hauling luggage behind them, the rushed ones are sprinting towards their platforms, others are satisfying their hunger with quick bites. Around 493,000 individuals pass through here daily, only Hamburg's main station records more travelers.
Then, three bursts of sound echo through the crowd. A man is sprawled on track 9. People shriek, scatter in terror. "I was petrified," a young man confesses. It's an assassination in broad daylight, almost casual, occurring in a place as populated as possible.
And now, two days later, the puzzle remains unsolved: What motivates such a heinous act?
The act seems to be a premeditated killing
As of now, all signs point to a premeditated murder. The culprit appears to have acted with intention and did not select his victim haphazardly. Post-incident, the man discarded the weapon near the victim, did not spray bullets indiscriminately, and made towards track 7, presumably to board an ICE 526 bound for Dortmund. He didn't make it far, being apprehended by two federal officers and subdued.
Meanwhile, a video is circulating online that is rumored to document the act and appears authentic. Neither the police nor the prosecutor's office confirm the video's authenticity to stern, stating it originates from a surveillance camera. "We do not comment on the circulating video," they assert.
Alleged surveillance footage shows execution in Frankfurt
On the video, a man is seen standing close to another commuter when another man in blue pants and a light top approaches from behind. He approaches his target deliberately, retrieves the handgun in his right hand, and shoots him in the head inches away. The man crumples, and the perpetrator shoots at his prone victim again. As he departs, he glances back once, ensuring his target is truly deceased. Panic-stricken people scatter around him as he jogs away.
The man detained by federal officers on the scene is a 54-year-old Turk who is not known to the police. Information from the prosecutor's office indicates he was most recently based in Baden-Württemberg. The involved authorities have yet to determine for stern on Thursday how long he has resided in Germany. "This information is part of the ongoing investigations and cannot be disclosed at this time," states Dominik Mies, Frankfurt public prosecutor's office spokesperson. Whether he was legally permitted to carry a weapon is also still unclear. The same goes for the handgun's type.
Suspect in custody
The suspect remains uncooperative with investigators and refuses to offer any statements on the charges. He is now in custody, and the prosecutor's office accuses him of homicide. His motive remains a mystery. The relationship between the assailant and the victim is still under investigation. "At present, we have no further details about the act's background," Chief Public Prosecutor Mies states.
According to stern, the victim did not reside in Germany and was 27 years old. When and why the Turkish man entered Germany and his current presence here remain unclear. "We're currently reviewing the victim's entry data," Chief Public Prosecutor Mies informs stern.
Expert: These might be the reasons for the act
The reasons behind such a public act remain enigmatic. "There's something theatrical, even staged about it," criminal psychologist Rudolf Egg informed the German Press Agency. "Those who carry out such acts in public incur a very significant risk of being caught," said the former director of the Criminological Central Office in Wiesbaden. The perpetrator must have been aware that surveillance cameras would capture the act and that numerous witnesses would be present. He must have believed he wouldn't evade imprisonment, which could result in a life sentence.
"If someone does such a thing, they must possess a very powerful motive or have been under intense pressure," Egg claimed. "Perhaps there was no alternative method to commit the act;" at this stage, speculation is the only possibility as to whether organized crime or drug trade, family honor, or jealousy play a role; nothing can be dismissed at this time.
The act of shooting and killing the man on track 9 is now being investigated as a premeditated murder. Despite being caught by federal officers, the suspect remains uncooperative and refuses to provide any statements on the charges, leaving his motive for the heinous act a mystery.
