Cologne under shock: man shoots on business - family dispute the background?

Cologne under shock: man shoots on business - family dispute the background?

In the night of Sunday there was a worrying incident in Cologne: a 47-year-old man fired shots on the window front of a business. The incident occurred in the early morning, and the background seems to be in a family dispute, as n-tv.de. In the incident, a 44-year-old cleaner was present in the shop, which was luckily unharmed. The shooter initially fled, but later stood on a police station and has been in police custody since then. A murder commission has been set up to examine the case intensively.

A look at the security situation in the city shows that this incident is not isolated. Processes in Cologne are currently also taking place in connection with a drug war. This emerges from a report by WDR. A key witness that is located in the witness protection program is flown to court dates. The risk situation for the 24-year-old defendant is considered highly because he has heavily burdened other participants and the police warn of possible revenge. Seven other defendants are involved in the procedure.

Violent crime in Germany

These interpersonal conflicts are emblematic for a worrying trend in violent crime. According to Statista, violent crimes make up less than 4% of all police crimes in Germany, but they significantly influence people's feeling of security. Around 217,000 violent crimes were registered in 2024, the highest number since 2007. The increase in violent acts has been particularly striking since 2021 when the number rapidly increased - now they are almost a third higher than two years ago.

The causes of this increase are diverse and range from economic uncertainties to social burdens that affect those seeking protection in particular. The psychological stress by the Corona measures also seem to make their contribution. The police statistics show that around 260,000 people are victims of violence annually, while the reconnaissance rate is 75%.

In view of these developments, the question arises as to how the city of Cologne deals with such incidents. The latest shooting change is another example of the challenges that the security authorities look for. The population is concerned and wondered how to restore the feeling of security. The upcoming processes in connection with the drug war could also lead to the situation further exhilarating because revenge acts are not excluded. It remains to be hoped that the police and the judiciary can act quickly and consistently in order to contain such incidents and to strengthen the trust of citizens in public security.