Exchange of fire in military barracks leaves 1 dead, 1 injured in Austria

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - A soldier was killed and another injured in Austria on Friday in an exchange of fire at a military barracks, according to local media.

A 20-year-old guard soldier allegedly opened fire at the barracks in the city of Wiener Neustadt, south of the capital Vienna, before being shot by a non-commissioned officer, reported the daily Krone.

According to the report, the guard soldier, who had begun his basic military service in October, had gotten into an argument with a superior officer the night before the shooting, Austrian Army spokesman Col. Michael Bauer confirmed to Krone.

The other guards fled to the guard room as the incident broke out, with the non-commissioned officer that remained being injured and subsequently hospitalized, Bauer added. The severity of his injuries, or whether they were gunshot wounds, remains unclear.

Local police have launched an investigation, according to Krone, adding that several police and military police vehicles had arrived at the scene early in the morning.