Hobby hunter fires shot in flat during argument

During an argument with his ex-partner, a 44-year-old hobby hunter in Kirchheim unter Teck (Esslingen district, Baden-Württemberg) deliberately fired a pistol at a piece of furniture in a flat.

The man then dialled the emergency number himself. This was reported by the police.

His 46-year-old ex-partner was slightly injured by the loud shot, but did not require medical treatment. According to the information, both live in the same detached house but in separate areas. Beforehand, there had reportedly been disputes between the two. Exactly what the man fired at and to whom the object belonged was not disclosed. The police were able to take the shooter into custody on Friday without resistance. Shortly afterwards, the weapons authority was also alerted.

Commentary: When the gun is in the living room

The case points to a structural problem that is regularly underestimated in the debate about private gun ownership: anyone who owns a hunting weapon has it ready to hand in the home. In an escalating situation, the path from anger to a loaded barrel becomes dramatically shorter. That “only” an object was shot here and that the woman concerned remained largely physically unharmed is a question of centimetres and seconds, not of safety.

Studies on domestic violence have long shown that the mere availability of a firearm in the household increases the risk of serious and fatal attacks. The weapons authority is now rightly reviewing the man’s continued suitability. The question remains why the dangerousness of private weapon arsenals only becomes an issue once a shot has already been fired.

More on incidents involving private gun ownership in the dossier Crime and Hunting as well as under Hunting Act.