Drive-by shooting in Berlin: One dead

Unknown assailants shot at people as they drove past in Berlin-Schöneberg. One person was killed and two were injured, including a bystander. The perpetrator(s) are on the run.

Unknown assailants fired several shots from a car in Berlin-Schöneberg, killing one man and injuring two others. According to the public prosecutor's office, one of the injured was an innocent bystander. It was a so-called drive-by shooting that is said to have occurred on Thursday night. The term is used for shooting while driving past.

The shots fatally hit a 42-year-old man. Emergency services tried to resuscitate him at the scene. He died a short time later in the ambulance. The body is currently being autopsied, it was announced this morning. The background to the incident is still completely unclear. The perpetrator or perpetrators are on the run.

Shots in Berlin: Many questions still unanswered

A companion of the man and a completely innocent passerby were also hit by the shots. The two injured people, aged 42 and 44, were taken to hospital and had to undergo surgery.

The public prosecutor's office did not initially confirm media reports that the innocent bystander was riding a bicycle. It also remained unclear what the red car at the crime scene was about.

The shots were fired on Thursday night around 1 a.m., police and prosecutors said. The shots were fired in a fairly scattered manner. A large crowd of people formed around the secured crime scene during the night. Many people were screaming in despair or crying.

Crime scene is in the red light district

How many shots were fired and what type of firearm was used remains unclear.

A fire engine was called to assist with the rescue efforts. The police secured a wide area. The morning after the shooting, streets near the crime scene were still closed to traffic due to the police operation, according to the Berlin Traffic Information Center.

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The crime scene at the corner of Bülowstrasse and Potsdamer Strasse is a busy traffic junction in Berlin. The area around the crime scene is considered to be part of the red light district. (dpa/mp)