Vienna in turmoil: Young people fire shots in the skater park!

Vienna in turmoil: Young people fire shots in the skater park!

On the evening of May 31, 2025, shots in Bodenstedtgasse were cast in Vienna when several young people ran through a nearby skating park. One of the young men wore a gun and called "Allahu Akbar!". Eyewitnesses reported on a tense situation that developed within a very short time and immediately alerted the police. This reacted immediately and was on site with several strips and the Wega to secure the area around the Floridsdorfer train station within a few minutes.

The perpetrators were able to flee while the police began with comprehensive evidence. A total of seven sleeves of a shotgun were secured. Fortunately, there were no injuries and no damage to property. The investigation was handed over to the State Office for State Protection and EXTREMISTISICMENT (LSE). Police spokesman Markus Dittrich confirmed that the search for the suspects is running and it was a serious incident that requires immediate measures. The incident that was filmed from a reader's apartment was described as a war like, although it took place in the middle of Vienna. [Exxpress] reports that the decisive arrest of the suspects should be made immediately.

weapons law background

In order to understand the context of this shot, it is important to illuminate the legal framework for the acquisition and possession of firearms in Austria. According to the provisions of the Weapons Act, reliable EEA citizens who have reached the age of 21 must demonstrate a need to carry firearms. This is particularly important because the security authorities rely on the fact that individual applications are subjected to strict exams for weapon passes. Mere assumptions regarding a hazard are not sufficient to justify a need. [BMI] makes it clear that the issuing of an arms passport is at the discretion of the authority that always provides public security through individual interests.

In a connection between increasing threat from illegal gun ownership, Austria carried out an Austrian joint action day (JAD) on February 27, 2025. Coordinated house searches and securities took place at fourteen locations in seven federal states. This was done by a total of ten male suspects that are accused of violating the weapons law and other relevant laws. Over 90 firearms and more than ten thousand shot ammunition were secured. [BMI] explains that these measures were carried out in close cooperation with the public prosecutors.

The currently carried out investigations and their backgrounds not only indicate potential illegal weapons, but also illustrate the challenges that the security authorities are facing. The need for international cooperation against illegal arms trade was emphasized in this context by government representatives. The events in Vienna thus become a complex image that illustrates both the relevance of strict weapon controls and the constant vigilance of state organs.