Double murder in San Candido: kills the father and a neighbor, dies during the GIS raid.

Ewald Kühbacher, a 48-year-old man and former private security guard, was the protagonist of a tragic event in San Candido, in Alto Adige, which profoundly shook the local community. On the evening of Saturday 17 August, around 23pm, Kühbacher killed his ninety-year-old father, who was bedridden due to illness, and a 50-year-old neighbor. The latter, alarmed by the suspicious noises coming from the Kühbacher apartment, went upstairs to understand what was happening, but she was shot to death on the landing of the house.

The alarm was raised by another neighbor, worried by the smell of gas she had begun to smell and by the shots that seemed to come from Kühbacher's apartment. Immediately, the fire brigade was called and went to the scene. However, upon their arrival, they were greeted by several shots fired from inside the apartment. The bullets hit and damaged some emergency vehicles and private citizens parked outside the building, but fortunately caused no injuries. Given the extremely dangerous situation, the authorities decided to isolate the area surrounding the house, located near the San Candido railway station, and to close the state road to ensure the safety of residents and emergency workers.

The situation continued until the first light of dawn, with Kühbacher who continued to shoot at anyone who attempted to approach his home. Over the course of the night, the police, supported by volunteers from the White Cross and Civil Protection, carefully monitored the evolution of the situation, trying to find a way to neutralize the threat without further bloodshed.

In the late morning of Sunday 18 August, after hours of stalemate, it was decided to raid the apartment. Il Special Intervention Group (GIS) of the Carabinieri, an elite unit trained for high-risk operations, took command of the operations. The leatherheads placed micro explosive charges on the front door in order to quickly enter and take control of the situation. As soon as the soldiers broke into the apartment, Kühbacher opened fire on them. However, the police chose not to return fire in an attempt to avoid further casualties.

Realizing he was surrounded, Kühbacher took refuge in another room of the apartment, where he turned the gun on himself and shot himself in the throat. Seriously injured, he was immediately transported to the nearest hospital, but despite the doctors' efforts, he died shortly afterwards due to his serious injuries.

The investigation, now entrusted to the Bolzano Public Prosecutor's Office, aims to shed light on the details of this tragic event. Investigators are trying to reconstruct the night's events with precision and to determine the type of weapon used in the double homicide. One of the hypotheses being considered is that Kühbacher used one of the firearms belonging to his father, a retired forest ranger.

The community of San Candido was deeply shocked by this dramatic episode.

Mayor, Klaus Rainer expressed his sorrow by calling the incident a "black chapter in the history of our community". He underlined how the city is now in mourning and how the wound left by these tragic events will be difficult to heal. Rainer also wanted to praise the work of the police, the Fire Brigade, the White Cross and the Civil Protection, who, having initially intervened due to an alleged gas leak, found themselves involved in an extremely dangerous and unpredictable situation. Only thanks to the courage and professionalism of the GIS special units, added the mayor, were we able to avoid further victims and bring the situation under control.

In this moment of pain, the entire community of San Candido rallied around the families of the victims, seeking mutual comfort and support. Investigations will continue in the coming days to clarify every aspect of the matter, as the country tries to recover from this terrible tragedy.