An ex-soldier from Iserlohn has confessed to taking hostages at a Starbucks in Ulm in January. The incident, which lasted for an hour and a half, ended when police severely wounded the perpetrator during a rescue operation.
Hostage situation unfolds
The 44-year-old defendant stands accused of entering the café armed on January 26th and taking several people hostage. According to the prosecution, his intention was to be shot by the Special Forces (SEK) as he had given up on life. The accused barely survived the incident, losing his lower jaw in the process.
Video footage shows the man entering the café around 6 PM, initially ordering a coffee. He then retrieved realistic-looking weapon replicas and two knives from a travel bag. He handed a young couple a note instructing them to call the police. When they hesitated, he showed them the weapons.
When two police officers later ordered him to put down the weapons, he responded, “Get out, or I’ll shoot.” He held more than ten people at bay, eventually taking six hostages, including two children. The perpetrator gradually released the hostages but kept the café manager with him. He left the café holding a weapon to her neck, with only 20 centimeters separating them when the SEK intervened and incapacitated him with gunfire.
Soldier’s traumatic experiences
The ex-soldier served in the German Armed Forces from 2004 to 2016, including a deployment to Afghanistan. In court, he described traumatic experiences such as rocket attacks and shots fired at comrades, which had deeply affected him. Upon returning home, he attempted to cope with these experiences through alcohol and visits to gambling halls.
These pressures led to the breakdown of his marriage, with his wife filing for divorce. The prosecution believes that at the time of the offense, the defendant had diminished criminal responsibility due to an exceptional psychological state. Therefore, long-term placement in a psychiatric hospital is being considered.
Perpetrator’s suicidal intent
The defendant stated that on the day of the incident, he had lost his will to live and decided to have himself shot by the SEK. He chose Ulm spontaneously due to the presence of a military hospital and personal memories of better times with his wife at Starbucks.
After walking around Ulm Cathedral, the man changed clothes in an underground parking garage before entering the café. He assured the court that he had not intended to harm anyone and expressed openness to therapy. A verdict could be reached by mid-October.
