Zug massacre
Encyclopedia
The Zug massacre took place on September 27, 2001 in the city of Zug
(Canton of Zug
, Switzerland
) in the canton's parliament. Fourteen people were shot dead by Friedrich Leibacher
, who killed himself shortly after the crime.
In the years before the massacre, Leibacher drew attention to himself by an intense use of lawsuits. These were dismissed, so he assumed he was being persecuted by the state, thus he felt he had to resort to the crime.
He was armed with a civilian version of a Stgw 90 (Swiss Army assault rifle
), a SIG-Sauer-pistol
, a pump-action shotgun and a revolver
, using a home-made police vest, Leibacher was able to enter the parliament building without problem.
This assault was the first of its type in Switzerland and one of the Canton of Zug's darkest days. Worldwide, especially in the European Union
and in the German Bundestag, there was shock at the attack.
s increased their security or installed security measures. Some established a strict access control for visitors and security passes for the politicians and staff.
On the national level, the Sektion Sicherheit Parlamentsgebäude (section for the security of parliament buildings) was established as part of the Bundessicherheitsdienst (Federal Security Service), a police unit of 35, which
secures the Bundeshaus
in Bern. As part of a general electronic access control for visitors, access controls with x-ray machines were installed. Further, separate wings of the Bundeshaus were secured with gates, which have to be opened with a badge.
Many cantons and communities have compiled files of people who are considered
Nörgler, Querulanten and Behördenhasser (nigglers, grumblers, haters of the administration), who have threatened people, filed lawsuits or bombard authorities with protest notes and who think they have been treated unfairly after the suits have been dismissed. Since the Zug massacre such people are watched closely. Mediation centres were founded in which the so-called Ombudsmänner
try to mediate conflicts. Police stations became more sensitive to threats, with people making threats temporarily detained and their houses searched for weapons. When issuing weapon licenses, the application is closely examined, since Leibacher had been diagnosed with a paranoid personality disorder and "brain weakness" ("Gehirnschwäche"). He was able to legally buy the weapons although he had already threatened people, had been known as a grumbler and has had a report made against him.
Zug
Zug , is a German-speaking city in Switzerland. The name ‘Zug’ originates from fishing vocabulary; in the Middle Ages it referred to the right to ‘pull up’ fishing nets and hence to the right to fish.The city of Zug is located in the Canton of Zug and is its capital...
(Canton of Zug
Canton of Zug
The Canton of Zug is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. It is located in central Switzerland and its capital is Zug. With 239 km² the canton is one of the smallest of the cantons in terms of area. It is not subdivided into districts.- History :The earlier history of the canton is...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) in the canton's parliament. Fourteen people were shot dead by Friedrich Leibacher
Friedrich Leibacher
Friedrich Heinz Leibacher was a Swiss spree killer who killed 14 members of the Zug canton Parliament, injuring 18 others, before committing suicide....
, who killed himself shortly after the crime.
In the years before the massacre, Leibacher drew attention to himself by an intense use of lawsuits. These were dismissed, so he assumed he was being persecuted by the state, thus he felt he had to resort to the crime.
He was armed with a civilian version of a Stgw 90 (Swiss Army assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
), a SIG-Sauer-pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
, a pump-action shotgun and a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, using a home-made police vest, Leibacher was able to enter the parliament building without problem.
Attack
He started shooting in the hall where the members of parliament were meeting. He killed three members of the Executive Council ("Regierungsräte") and eleven members of the legislature ("Kantonsräte"), and wounded 18 politicians and journalists, some heavily. He fired 91 rounds. Then, he ignited a homemade bomb, and then took his own life. His main intended target was the Cantonal Minister Robert Bisig, who was unharmed. Leibacher left a suicide note titled "Tag des Zornes für die Zuger Mafia" ("Day of wrath for the Zug mafia"), which referenced his belief there was a plot against him.This assault was the first of its type in Switzerland and one of the Canton of Zug's darkest days. Worldwide, especially in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and in the German Bundestag, there was shock at the attack.
Aftereffects
Afterwards, many local parliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
s increased their security or installed security measures. Some established a strict access control for visitors and security passes for the politicians and staff.
On the national level, the Sektion Sicherheit Parlamentsgebäude (section for the security of parliament buildings) was established as part of the Bundessicherheitsdienst (Federal Security Service), a police unit of 35, which
secures the Bundeshaus
Bundeshaus
The Federal Palace is the name of the building in Bern in which the Swiss Federal Assembly and the Federal Council are housed.The building was designed by the architect Hans Auer and its inauguration took place on 1 April 1902...
in Bern. As part of a general electronic access control for visitors, access controls with x-ray machines were installed. Further, separate wings of the Bundeshaus were secured with gates, which have to be opened with a badge.
Many cantons and communities have compiled files of people who are considered
Nörgler, Querulanten and Behördenhasser (nigglers, grumblers, haters of the administration), who have threatened people, filed lawsuits or bombard authorities with protest notes and who think they have been treated unfairly after the suits have been dismissed. Since the Zug massacre such people are watched closely. Mediation centres were founded in which the so-called Ombudsmänner
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
try to mediate conflicts. Police stations became more sensitive to threats, with people making threats temporarily detained and their houses searched for weapons. When issuing weapon licenses, the application is closely examined, since Leibacher had been diagnosed with a paranoid personality disorder and "brain weakness" ("Gehirnschwäche"). He was able to legally buy the weapons although he had already threatened people, had been known as a grumbler and has had a report made against him.
Deaths
- Peter Bossard (Regierungsrat/Statthalter, FDP, Zug)
- Monika Hutter-Häfliger (Regierungsrätin, SP, Baar)
- Jean-Paul Flachsmann (Regierungsrat, CVP, Zug)
- Herbert Arnet (Kantonsratspräsident, CVP, Cham)
- Martin Döbeli (Kantonsrat, FDP, Zug)
- Dorly Heimgartner (Kantonsrätin, FDP, Zug)
- Kurt Nussbaumer (Kantonsrat, CVP, Oberägeri)
- Rolf Nussbaumer (Kantonsrat, CVP, Baar)
- Konrad Häusler (Kantonsrat, CVP, Unterägeri)
- Erich Iten (Kantonsrat, FDP, Unterägeri)
- Karl Gretener (Kantonsrat, CVP, Cham)
- Willi Wismer (Kantonsrat, CVP, Risch)
- Heinz Grüter (Kantonsrat, FDP, Baar)
- Käthi Langenegger (Kantonsrätin, CVP, Baar)
- Friedrich LeibacherFriedrich LeibacherFriedrich Heinz Leibacher was a Swiss spree killer who killed 14 members of the Zug canton Parliament, injuring 18 others, before committing suicide....
(Spree killer, Zug)