Austrian mayor and another person shot dead - perpetrator at large

Suspect still on run after killing mayor of Kumberg and another person in Austria

The mayor of the Austrian town of Kumberg, together with another person, was shot dead on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, and the perpetrator is still at large, police said.

The incident occurred at around 7 p.m. local time in the town of Kumberg, which is located in the province of Styria in southeastern Austria. The mayor, 59-year-old Andreas Kloiber, was shot multiple times in the upper body and died at the scene. Another person, a 53-year-old man, was also shot and died later in hospital.

The perpetrator fled the scene in a car and is still at large. Police have launched a manhunt and have set up roadblocks in the area, according to the Austrian news agency APA.

The motive for the shooting is still unknown, but police are investigating the possibility that it was politically motivated. Kloiber was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and had been mayor of Kumberg since 2015.

The shooting has shocked the community of Kumberg and has led to an outpouring of grief and anger. Many people have taken to social media to express their condolences and to demand that the perpetrator be brought to justice.

The Austrian government has also condemned the shooting and has vowed to do everything possible to find the perpetrator and bring him to justice.

The shooting is a reminder of the dangers that politicians face around the world. In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile assassinations of politicians, including the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this year.

It is important to remember that violence is never the answer and that it is never justified to target politicians or other public figures.