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Acquittal for Zingst shooters: Court verdict surprises everyone!
Acquittal of a 23-year-old after shooting in Zingst: Court sees no intent to kill, public prosecutor's office examines verdict.
Acquittal for Zingst shooters: Court verdict surprises everyone!
On June 17, 2025, a 23-year-old man was acquitted by the Stralsund regional court. This happened in connection with a shocking incident that occurred in August 2024 in Zingst, Vorpommern-Rügen district. The man was suspected of firing shots from a car that injured two men aged 25 and 24.
However, the court found that no intent to kill could be proven. According to nordkurier.de, the defendant was unable to shoot from the driver's seat due to his stature. Rather, a passenger is viewed as a potential shooter. The incident, which arose out of a conflict between two security companies, resulted in life-threatening injuries for the 25-year-old, while the 24-year-old suffered a bullet wound to the arm.
Legal developments
The defendant was arrested ten days after the incident and was remanded in custody. However, various legal decisions were made during the proceedings. The Rostock Higher Regional Court confirmed that the arrest warrant against the 23-year-old remains unexecuted. zeit.de reports that the court classified the risk of escape as sufficient through less drastic measures such as a weekly personal report to the police and a ban on contact with witnesses.
Although the public prosecutor's acquittal is not yet final, it is currently being examined whether further legal action will be taken against the verdict. This shows how complex the legal processes in such violent crime cases are.
Increasing violent crime in Germany
The context of the general developments in violent crime in Germany is also interesting. According to Statista, around 217,000 violent crimes were registered in 2024, the highest number since 2007. Trust in public safety is suffering, especially since violent crimes - although they make up less than 4% of all crimes recorded by the police - clearly have a strong impact on citizens' sense of security.
The increase in young suspects in violent crime is also frightening. The proportion of violent offenders under the age of 21 has increased. While in 2021 it was only under 30%, this proportion has increased since then. The pressure of the corona pandemic and the associated social burdens could be possible reasons for this increase, as the BKA suspects.
Overall, the situation in Zingst and beyond remains a stunning example of the challenges associated with violent crime and the legal system's response. Despite the acquittal, the outstanding questions are far from being resolved, and the view of the increasing violent crime in Germany remains an important topic for the population.