Police and family dispute account of shooting 14-year-old

Police and the family of a 14-year-old have given conflicting accounts of the events that led to a Munich police officer shooting the boy in the torso, BR24 reports. The boy was carrying an airsoft pistol in the Schwabing district, which bystanders mistook for a real weapon.

The teenager is out of danger but remains in hospital and is expected to undergo several operations, his mother told BR24. The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon.

Conflicting accounts of the encounter

Police say the boy pulled out a weapon-like object, made a movement resembling the action of loading a pistol and then turned towards officers with the weapon raised.

His mother said her son had told her that he raised his hands and shouted: “It’s a toy, please don’t shoot.” It remains unclear which account is accurate.

It is undisputed that the boy was carrying the airsoft pistol. His mother said he had bought it shortly beforehand from a shop with his pocket money. She said he had often played with water pistols in the past.

Video may show loading movement

The incident took place on Belgradstrasse in Schwabing. A video from a laundrette a few metres from the shooting location reportedly shows the teenager walking with a female friend while holding the airsoft gun at stomach height. A laundrette employee told BR24 that he also made a movement resembling the loading of a pistol. A passer-by was reportedly so alarmed that she fled into the laundrette.

BR24 has not viewed the video. The employee’s description matches the police account, but it is unclear whether the recording shows the same scene described by the officers. According to the employee, the recording ends before the teenager encountered the police.

Second video starts after the shot

BR24 has obtained another video, but it begins only after the shooting. It shows several plain-clothes officers leaning over the injured teenager and first checking whether he had any other weapons. A police car then arrives, and uniformed officers approach the scene and appear to provide first aid.

The Munich public prosecutor’s office confirmed to BR24 that recordings exist showing the situation up to shortly before the shot was fired. The 14-year-old has not yet been questioned. Investigators have already interviewed his companion and other witnesses. A legal assessment has not yet been made.

The boy’s family is from Turkey and has lived in Germany since 2023. Their asylum applications were rejected, and they have filed legal challenges. The Munich Administrative Court granted an urgent application, allowing the family to remain legally in Germany until the main proceedings are decided.

The boy’s mother described him as childish for his age. She said he had told her: “Mum, I’m still a child. I’m allowed to do that.”