German police are investigating a shooting at a watch store in Cologne, possibly linked to the recent spate of explosions in the city , said a spokesman for the law enforcement agencies, quoted by DPA and BTA.
According to initial data, shortly after 16:00 (14:00 GMT), an unknown person fired more than 20 shots with an automatic weapon at the facade of the building in the "Nile" district. and then it ran away.
Shell shells were found outside, the spokesman said, adding that no one was injured.
The facts and circumstances surrounding the case are yet to be clarified.
But the prosecutor's office and the police suggest that he is connected to organized crime, as well as to two explosions that occurred recently in the city center, in which there was some material damage, but no one was injured.
On Thursday, the head of the criminal division of the Cologne police, Michael Esser, announced that law enforcement in Cologne "faces major challenges in view of an unprecedented increase in violence and serious crimes".
More than 60 investigators are working on the case. At the root of the crimes are probably disputes between rival criminal gangs. "There are obviously serious scores to settle in these circles," Esser said.
Ulrich Bremer, a high-ranking representative of the prosecution, for his part, said that one of these accounts was the disappearance of 300 kilograms of cannabis. The group that was cheated out of the drug is now trying to either get it back or get revenge.