German guns down two Italians after football row

Published: 5 Jul 10 21:51 CET
Updated: 6 Jul 10 10:44 CET

A second Italian man has died after being gunned down alongside a compatriot by a German man angered in a pub row over World Cup football, the police in Hannover said on Tuesday.

The first Italian was killed at the scene of the altercation on Monday after the three men began arguing about the past World Cup performances of their respective teams, police said.

"According to our current investigations, the three men got into an argument in the pub in the morning about, among other things, the success of Italy and Germany in previous World Cups," police in Hannover, northern Germany, said.

"After this, the suspect is thought to have left the pub, returned a bit later and fired at the two victims," the statement said.

One 47-year-old Italian died mid-morning of his injuries in hospital. The other, 49, is in a critical condition.

Police are now urgently searching for the suspect, a 42-year-old German man from Hannover. Authorities found a weapon, a 9mm pistol, in the vicinity of the
pub.

From: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100705-28311.html

World Cup row shooting suspect surrenders

Published: 7 Jul 10 14:09 CET

A German man suspected of shooting two Italians in a pub in Hannover after a row about the World Cup has surrendered to authorities on the Spanish island of Majorca, police said Wednesday.

The authorities said the man, a 42-year-old identified only as Holger B., had given himself up on Tuesday at a court in Palma and had been remanded in custody by a magistrate.

"We had early indications that the suspect had fled to Majorca," said Hannover police spokesman Heiko Steiner.

An argument in a bar early on Monday, apparently about the performances of Italy and Germany in past football World Cups, turned deadly when B. left the pub, returned a short time later with a 9mm pistol and shot the two Italians in the head, according to German police. Both the victims, aged 47 and 49, died later.

Majorca is a favourite spot for Germans, with nearly four million visiting the Mediterranean island annually and tens of thousands living there permanently.

"We have no doubt the suspect will quickly be extradited to Germany," said Irene Silinger, spokeswoman for Hannover's state prosecutor's office.

From: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100707-28351.html