Police operation in Mülheim: gunman (65) shot

Police shot a man (65) in a shooting Wednesday afternoon on Aktienstraße in Mülheim. According to the police, the man is said to have stood in the hallway with a long pistol and fired at the police officers. He was so badly wounded in the exchange of gunfire that he died. The lower Aktienstraße, near the confluence with Engelbertusstraße, was cordoned off for large-scale operations until evening.

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As the police said about the operation, the emergency services were called to an apartment building in the lower part of Aktienstraße in Mülheim around 4.15pm. Witnesses had reported from there that “loud pops” could be heard from the ground floor. As soon as police arrived with several patrol cars, it emerged that the 65-year-old man, a man who lived alone, was in the hallway and had a long gun with him, police reported.

Police operation in Mülheim: the man is said to have stood with a long pistol in the corridor

Shortly after the first officers arrived on the scene, there was an exchange of gunfire with the man. The 65-year-old man suffered injuries as a result, which were so severe that he died from them while still at home. The 65-year-old man lived there in an apartment and was single.

Evidently, according to witness statements, it was feared that there might still be explosives in the house. Due to a possible danger, the local police called in special police units, including explosives experts from the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Düsseldorf, and the house was evacuated. “We are following up on those leads,” said police spokesman Christoph Wickhorst. However, no explosives were found in the apartment. Several patrol cars and dog handlers were in action during the large-scale operation.

Bullet holes found in an apartment door

Aktienstraße remains closed for the investigation of the crime scene, both at the house and in the area between Sandstraße and Engelbertusstraße until late at night. In the house itself, the police found bullet holes in the front door of an apartment. “This also dovetails with witness testimony about the crackling noises,” said police spokesman Wickhorst at the scene after police were able to commit the crime scene.

The background of the incident is still being investigated and, in the evening, the police questioned other witnesses. However, the use of firearms should not be investigated by the Essen / Mülheim police itself, but by another police authority, as is customary in such cases.