42-year-old dies after drive-by shooting on Schöneberg street prostitution

A 42-year-old man was shot dead in Berlin-Schöneberg overnight. Two other men were seriously injured in the attack on the street corner in Bülowstrasse – one of them was apparently accidentally hit by the bullets. According to information from Tagesspiegel, investigators assume that a feud in the red-light district is behind the crime.

The attack took place at around 1 a.m. on the corner of Bülowstrasse and Potsdamer Strasse. According to as yet unconfirmed information, an unknown assailant fired at a red BMW in which the victim and a 44-year-old, both Turkish, were at the scene.

Two Turks injured, one fatally

Emergency services attempted to resuscitate the 42-year-old at the scene. According to the public prosecutor's office, however, he died a short time later in the ambulance. The body was autopsied on Thursday. The public prosecutor's office did not initially disclose the results of the forensic examination.

The victim leaves behind a wife and a child of primary school age. His 44-year-old companion underwent surgery in a clinic.

Another 42-year-old, a Brazilian, was discovered cycling along the street. Paramedics treated him on the sidewalk. He was also operated on in a clinic. The bullets also pierced a bus stop.

According to the public prosecutor's office, the shots were fired from a car. “It was a so-called drive-by shooting,” said a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office. The term is used for shootings while driving past.

© dpa/Jörg Carstensen

The public prosecutor's office said that investigations were being carried out in all directions. According to information from the Tagesspiegel, the investigators are particularly focusing on gangs from Turkish-speaking areas in Bulgaria, which have dominated the sex trade in recent years. Many of the sex workers working around Bülowstrasse come from Roma families from the Balkans, who are sometimes violently controlled by their pimps.

A large crowd of people gathered around the secured crime scene during the night. Many people were screaming in despair or crying.

A fire engine was called to assist with the rescue efforts. The police secured a wide area. Streets near the crime scene were closed to traffic until the morning due to the police operation, according to the Berlin Traffic Information Center.

The police union said after the shooting: “We all know that prostitution is practiced in this area and that it is a lucrative field for organized crime, it is about power on the street, influence, ownership and a lot of money.”

Within these circles, people do not shy away from using gun violence to enforce demands or settle outstanding accounts: “Anyone who deliberately fires several shots at a person in a vehicle is prepared to kill.” (with dpa)