COLOGNE – A watch shop in central Cologne has been targeted in a shooting for the third time this year. Following the latest incident in the early hours of Wednesday, October 21, police provisionally arrested two suspects, aged 18 and 42. A search for a third suspected participant is ongoing.
According to police, shots were fired at the watch shop on Breite Straße at around 3:50 a.m. Residents who heard the gunfire alerted the authorities.
No one was injured in the incident. Investigators found several bullet holes in the shop’s façade. Forensic officers collected cartridge cases and other evidence at the scene.
Two Suspects Arrested in Deutz
Following the shooting, three people were reportedly seen fleeing on electric scooters. Investigators traced their suspected escape route using witness statements and footage from the police video surveillance center.
Officers subsequently detained two men, aged 18 and 42, in Cologne’s Deutz district. According to police, a firearm was seized from the 42-year-old suspect. The search for the third suspect continues.
Shop Had Already Been Targeted Twice in August
The same watch shop was targeted in two separate shootings in August. Police are investigating whether the latest attack is connected to the previous incidents.
In recent months, shootings targeting businesses and residential buildings, as well as arson attacks, have drawn the attention of law enforcement agencies in Cologne and the surrounding region. Investigators are examining possible links between some of these incidents, organized crime and extortion.
However, it has not yet been established whether the latest shooting is connected to this series of crimes.
Investigations into the background of the attack and the identity of the third suspect are ongoing.
Text and Foto: Kadir Ilboga
