Bist du Ausländer?: German held after targeting foreigners with rifle

A press release from police in Baden-Württemberg has revealed that a German man was directly targeting non-Germans before he shot a passerby with an air rifle.

Tuttlingen man held after shooting Syrian resident

Police in Baden-Württemberg are holding a German man in custody after he allegedly shot and injured a passerby. 

On the evening of February 8, 2025, the 43-year-old repeatedly walked up and down the Obere Hauptstraße in Tuttlingen, southern Baden-Württemberg, before he is said to have attacked a 29-year-old Syrian man.

The accused allegedly shot at him multiple times using an air rifle. The Syrian man sustained injuries to his upper body and face. Only several weeks later did the victim visit a doctor and report the incident to the police.

Police then searched the German man’s house and found an air rifle, ammunition and several magazines, before arresting him on April 11.

Attacker asked passersby if he was a foreigner

According to the joint police press release from the Prosecutor General’s Offices in Stuttgart and Rottweil and the Constance Police Headquarters, the 43-year-old had directly asked the passerby “Bist du Ausländer?” (“Are you a foreigner?”) before shooting the air rifle.

While the case was first opened by the Prosecutor General’s Office in nearby Rottweil, it has now been taken over by the Prosecutor General’s Office in Stuttgart. The office in Stuttgart can take over investigations at an early stage if the accused is suspected of having extremist or terrorist motivations.

Berlin reports a significant increase in attacks on foreigners

The case in Tuttlingen coincides with the city of Berlin reporting a significant uptick in attacks on asylum seekers and refugee shelters.

According to the report, in 2024, there were 77 reported assaults of asylum seekers and refugees, compared to 32 in 2023. In 2024, 34 of the 77 people who were attacked required treatment in a hospital. 16 victims were women, 14 were men, two were girls, and two were male, but did not report their age.

Along with a rise in support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) - which came out second in the February federal election and first in a recent public poll - German authorities have reported an increase in right-wing extremist crimes.

33.963 right-wing attacks were reported in Germany between January and November 2024, a 17 percent increase compared to 2023. Figures for the entirety of 2024 are set to be published in May.