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Forensics in the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart after a person was injured by a gunshot

Photo: Kohls / dpa

Investigators have identified three suspected perpetrators of a shooting that are said to be in the context of a feud between two groups in the greater Stuttgart area.

All three are already in custody for other crimes, as the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office in Stuttgart announced.

The crime occurred on March 17, 2023 in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

All three suspects are said to belong to a group from the Esslingen area.

Two of them are said to have fired several shots at members of an enemy group from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and Göppingen from close range on the evening of March 17th with the intent to kill.

Arrest warrants for attempted murder, among other things

A man was seriously injured.

The two men, who were 19 and 20 years old at the time of the crime, are already in custody on other charges.

Further arrest warrants were issued against her for, among other things, attempted murder and serious and dangerous bodily harm.

The third accused is said to have destroyed and disposed of the murder weapon afterwards in order to prevent the 20-year-old from being punished.

He is also already in custody on other charges.

Another arrest warrant was also issued against him, in his case for attempted obstruction of justice.

It was only on Tuesday that investigators announced the arrest of additional suspects who are said to be connected to the series of violence.

From mid-February there were searches on five suspects who were said to have been involved in an arson in a hairdressing salon.

Since July 2022, there have been repeated clashes between two rival, multi-ethnic groups in the greater Stuttgart area.

The highlight of the violence was the throwing of a hand grenade at a funeral in Altbach in the Esslingen district in June 2023, in which 15 people were injured, some seriously.

Criminal proceedings are currently underway against the perpetrator.

It is not yet clear why the two groups joined forces and are fighting each other.

kub/AFP/dpa