A worker at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Böblingen near Stuttgart pulled out a gun before the start of his shift on Thursday and killed the worker in charge of the group, according to the press spokesperson of the Stuttgart Public Prosecutor’s Office. Another worker who was seriously injured at the scene died in the hospital.
Both victims (both 44 years old) and the suspect (53) were of Turkish origin, and the suspect reportedly surrendered to factory security without resistance.
The statement did not mention the cause of the feud between the workers of the subcontractor Rhenus Logistics, but unconfirmed allegations on social media suggested that the incident may have been related to the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey on 14 May.
Voting for the Turkish elections abroad began on 27 April and ended on 9 May. Many parties, including German authorities, expressed concerns about possible provocations and electoral manipulation by pro-government supporters abroad, especially in Germany, and tensions in many polling stations abroad justified these concerns. Efforts to rig the elections were uncovered.
The Stuttgart Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that all aspects of the incident are currently being investigated, and one person has been arrested. There is currently no clear information about the cause of the incident. Production was halted in the department where the incident took place and the workers were sent home.
