Czech Republic: Non-Romani man shouts racial abuse at 34-year-old Romani man before shooting him dead
Czech Police spokesperson Daniel Vítek told the Czech News Agency today that in the early morning hours today in Chomutov, Czech Republic a 34-year-old Romani man died as a result of being shot. Police officers arrested the suspected shooter at the scene.
BASIC INFORMATION
- On Jirkovská Street in front of a residential building at around 3 AM on Saturday, 27 May there was an argument between two Romani men.
- A non-Romani man came out of the building and, apparently because he was upset about the noise from the street, began to fire a weapon at the Romani men.
- Police arrested the shooter on suspicion of aggravated homicide.
- The criminal proceedings in the matter will begin tomorrow and a motion will be filed to remand the suspect into custody.
According to police at the crime scene, fatal injuries were caused to a man born in 1983 by a suspect born in 1980 who fired a legally licensed weapon and who was arrested by officers there. “Currently an intensive investigation of the case is underway and a criminal proceedings of suspected aggravated homicide will be launched in the matter,” the police spokesperson announced today after 15:00.
A reporter for news server Romea.cz, Renata Kováčová, visited the crime scene and ascertained from eyewitnesses that an argument had happened between two Romani men that morning. Another man who was not Romani came out of the building in front of which they were arguing and began to shoot them.
Eyewitnesses say between six and eight shots were fired. “They were at a discotheque and on the way back they got into an argument. The man who shot at them shouted at them from inside the building to be quiet and stop making noise. They moved down the street in front of the building, still arguing. One of them got into a car but the argument was still going on. Then a man came out of the building and began to shoot everybody. He was not Romani. One Romani man jumped into the nearby bushes to take cover, while a woman at the scene also managed to hide. The shooter fired at the Romani man in the car and also shot a dog at the scene. He did not fire just one round, he got off several,” an eyewitness told news server Romea.cz.
Another eyewitness has confirmed to news server Romea.cz that the two Romani men who were arguing were related. “The Czech who fired at them was not involved with it at all. They were arguing among themselves. The Mom of the man who has died was there and she was telling them to stop arguing,” the eyewitness to the tragic incident told news server Romea.cz.
“The shooter came out of the building and shouted at the guy in the car: ‘Shut your black mouth already you gypsy fucker!’ and immediately fired his weapon. The first shot killed the dog and then he shot the guy in the car. He’s a former prison worker, he knew where he was shooting, he was trained,” the eyewitness told news server Romea.cz, adding that the shooter’s car had apparently also been hit by the Romani man’s vehicle.
News server Deník.cz also published another eyewitness testimony with further information. “The man who was shot was sitting in the car and arguing through the window with his family who were inside the building,” the daily quotes a witness identified as Nikola.
“Suddenly a guy ran out of the building and shouted “Shut up already!’ He pulled out a pistol and first shot the dog, then began shooting at the Romani man in the car,” that witness described the incident to Deník.cz.
According to other eyewitnesses, the Romani man who was ultimately shot attempted to drive away from the scene of the incident. He was apparently under the influence of alcohol and drove onto the sidewalk, where he ran over a woman’s foot.
News server Romea.cz and other media outlets have also ascertained that eyewitnesses reported the Romani man also ran into several other cars with his vehicle. After firing his weapon, the shooter is said to have walked to a nearby gas station and awaited the police there.
The Romani man who was shot is a businessman living in Holland. At 18:00 at the scene of the shooting there was a vigil at which approximately 150 people, mostly Romani residents, assembled.
