Berlin Police Arrest Four Suspects After Kreuzberg Shooting
Berlin, May 30 – Berlin police have arrested four suspects in connection with a shooting incident that occurred in Kreuzberg on March 19. The arrests took place on Friday morning, with two men aged 18 and two teenagers aged 16 and 17 being taken into custody. Warrants for their arrest and search warrants were executed, as confirmed by police and public prosecutors on Friday afternoon.
The four individuals are currently under investigation for attempted homicide. The victim, a 23-year-old man, was walking along Graefestraße on March 19 with an acquaintance when two unknown assailants allegedly opened fire. The victim sustained serious, but not life-threatening, injuries to his torso, leg, and arm.
Possible Links to Organized Crime Under Investigation
Authorities are not ruling out connections to organized crime. A spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office stated that “links to organized crime cannot be ruled out and are being investigated.” Furthermore, investigators are examining whether there is a connection to two similar incidents that occurred recently in the same area.
The 5th Homicide Commission of the State Criminal Police Office is leading the ongoing investigation. During the searches conducted as part of the arrests, several blank-firing weapons were discovered.
Increase in Gun Violence in Berlin
Berlin has seen a rise in gun violence recently. A 65-year-old man is currently on trial at the Berlin Regional Court, accused of killing a 29-year-old in November. There have been repeated incidents of shootings targeting residential buildings, businesses, and individuals, sometimes with clear intent to kill.
The Kreuzberg Graefekiez area, in particular, has been a focal point of recent incidents. On May 21, around 12:40 PM, unidentified individuals fired multiple shots at a moving car on Urbanstraße. Reports suggest that members of the Arab-origin Remmo clan were inside the vehicle. On Monday evening, around 9:25 PM, shots were reported at the corner of Graefe- and Urbanstraße. Although no injuries were reported in this incident, both the perpetrators and victims fled the scene.
According to police statistics, there were 1,119 cases of firearm use in 2025. Over half of these involved threats, while 515 cases involved actual shootings. This represents a 68 percent increase in firearm-related crimes compared to 2024. The police have established a special unit to combat this trend.
Further details regarding the investigation, including why four suspects were arrested when the initial report mentioned two assailants, remain part of the ongoing inquiry.
