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Shots are fired, hardly anyone hears them, but two people die: the owner of a jewelry store shoots two men who want to rob his shop. One thing in particular is unclear to researchers.
You have not suspected anything, much less have you seen or heard anything. He had an appointment, his store was closed, says the owner of a clothing store in Celle. The waitress of a restaurant on the same street did not notice anything, did not hear any gunshots and only noticed the police operation. However, it was an alleged robbery that killed two people.
On Monday afternoon at least two shots were fired at a jewelry and antique store in Celle, one of the alleged robbers was shot, the second died a few hours later in hospital. The prosecution is investigating the 71-year-old gold and antiques dealer on suspicion of murder.
The jeweler was in possession of a gun
“Then it scares you,” says a retiree the day after the attack in front of the long-standing store, which is located on a half-timbered street in the old town. “That’s bad.” But what surprises him: that a jeweler has a gun. For a nearby merchant, the 71-year-old is “a good neighbor, I’ll take his packages.” The man is calm, always greets in a friendly way. The waitress says she already heard that the 71-year-old should have a gun license.
Based on the investigators’ findings so far, the 71-year-old is certain to have shot the suspected thieves. According to the spokeswoman for the prosecution, Stefanie Vogler, the business owner is in possession of a valid gun ownership card and was allowed to use the firearm. Investigators check whether it was a case of self-defense: “At first glance it looks like self-defense, now we have to check it in detail,” said Vogler. The exact course of events is unclear as there are no surveillance cameras in the store.
“I’ve never paid attention to it”
The two alleged robbers are known to have entered the store in the pedestrian zone on Monday afternoon. According to the prosecutor, at least one of the two had a gun with him, one was in a wheelchair. At the time, only the owning couple, 71 and 72, were in the dingy little store. Several shots were fired. The identity of at least one of the two alleged thieves is certain, therefore he is 35 years old.
The store looks low-key, on handwritten signs in the two small windows that the merchant advertises for gold and antiques. Behind the glass: watches, jewelry and antiques. “I’ve never paid attention to it,” says the Celle retiree.
Lower Saxony, Celle: Police forces secure the crime scene in the city center. (Source: Moritz Frankenberg / dpa)
Investigators are still waiting for witnesses, and police forensics will arrive Tuesday morning, wearing white protective suits, officers scrutinizing the small store inside and out. They take photos and measure, an officer tries to find fingerprints on the glass of the entrance door, which has been sealed by the police. Officers cordon off the tent again with red and white tape.
At first, it’s not entirely clear if one of the alleged thieves was relying on a wheelchair, or if it was a scam to appear harmless. The owner couple is in shock. The prosecution did not initially have statements from the two.
71 year old gets encouragement
Time and again, jewelers in Germany are the victims of armed robbers, and in some cases owners or employees were injured or killed. The fact that Celle owners had a weapon to protect themselves is not entirely unusual. In 2014 in Moers, Bas-Rhin, a jeweler, surprised by two masked men, shot at intruders, one of whom died from his wounds.
The 71-year-old man is very popular on the Internet, on Twitter, for example, he says several times: “Without pity.” Others warn against self-righteousness online. The Celle retiree is in awe: “What a quiet city, and then something like this happens in broad daylight.” The next day, the “Open” sign is still on the shop door. But everything is different behind the door.
