Austria: Mayor of town near German border shot dead by hunter

Police launch manhunt for suspect

The mayor of a small town near the German border has been shot dead by a hunter, police in Austria have said.

Alois Stadlober, 58, the mayor of Neukirchen an der Vöckla, was out hunting with a group of people in the nearby town of Pöndorf when he was shot in the chest on Tuesday afternoon. He died at the scene.

Police said they had launched a manhunt for the suspect, who is believed to be a 55-year-old man from the area.

In a statement, the police said: "We are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident, but we believe that the victim was accidentally shot by the suspect."

The mayor's death has been met with shock and sadness in Neukirchen an der Vöckla, a town of around 5,000 people.

Mayor remembered as 'kind and dedicated'

In a statement, the town council said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our mayor, Alois Stadlober. He was a kind and dedicated man who will be greatly missed by all who knew him."

The mayor's death is the latest in a series of hunting accidents in Austria in recent years.

In 2020, a 62-year-old man was shot dead by a hunter in the province of Styria.

And in 2019, a 59-year-old woman was killed by a hunter in the province of Lower Austria.

The Austrian Hunting Association has called for stricter gun laws in the wake of the mayor's death.

In a statement, the association said: "We are deeply concerned about the recent increase in hunting accidents in Austria. We believe that stricter gun laws are needed to prevent further tragedies."