Murder after a mask dispute: gas station shooter has been radicalized since 2015

In the dispute over the obligation to wear a mask, a man in Idar-Oberstein shoots a gas station employee. According to a psychologist, the accused’s political radicalization began many years ago, most recently he got involved in the Corona measures. According to the report, he is fully culpable.

According to a prison psychologist, the alleged petrol station killer from Idar-Oberstein has become politically radicalized since 2015. During the pre-trial detention, the 50-year-old accused spoke in more than 60 sessions about himself, his mental state, the crime and general topics, said the psychologist who was called as a witness at the district court in Bad Kreuznach.

While initially it was mainly about refugee policy, the radicalization of German has intensified since spring 2020. One reason for this was his father’s suicide in March 2020, who had previously shot the accused’s mother. From that point on, he got into the topic of corona measures, said the psychologist, who had previously been released from his duty of confidentiality.

In the conversations, the accused also showed remorse for the crime he was accused of. The motives for this are still not entirely clear to him. In January, the accused attempted suicide in prison, the psychologist reported.

The accused is accused of shooting a 20-year-old gas station employee in mid-September 2021 because he had repeatedly pointed out to customers that masks were compulsory. In an earlier trial, the accused had confessed to the crime and testified comprehensively.

According to a psychiatric report, the accused was fully responsible at the time of the crime. According to the examination presented to the court, there were no psychiatric or neurological abnormalities that indicate a severe impairment. In the 50-year-old, there is no evidence of a pathological mental disorder, reduced intelligence or other impairments that could reduce criminal responsibility, the expert said.

According to a coroner, the accused was very drunk at the time of the crime and is said to have had a blood alcohol concentration of between 1.73 and 1.93. Depending on the calculation, the estimated blood alcohol level could also be higher, according to the expert.