Shooting in Sion VS could hardly have been prevented, police say
Published: Thursday, Dec 21st 2023, 02:31
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According to the police, the shooting that left two people dead in Sion VS on December 11 could hardly have been prevented. "You always ask yourself what could have been done better", said the commander of the Valais cantonal police, Christian Varone, in an interview.
The police intervened very quickly, Varone said in an interview with the French-speaking Swiss newspaper "Le Nouvelliste" published on Thursday. Objectively speaking, the information known to the cantonal police about the alleged perpetrator would hardly have allowed them to prevent the crime, said the commander.
In the opinion of the commander, the legal framework would have to be tightened to enable additional investigations. Additional personnel resources are also required.
According to the interview, several people had been harassed by the 36-year-old for some time. However, they had not filed a complaint. "Simple reports are not enough", said Varone. "In order to act, the cantonal police need concrete evidence in the form of criminal complaints."
The same applies to the firearm that the alleged perpetrator possessed. When the man applied for a purchase license for the weapon in 2016, there was nothing on his criminal record, said Varone. At that time, there was therefore nothing to prevent the purchase license from being issued.
"Ticking time bomb"
At the time of the shooting, the alleged perpetrator was not on the Valais cantonal police's list of dangerous persons. It lists 80 people. "Before December 11, he was a person whose only legally binding conviction was for insubordination in the army," said Varone.
For the police, it is much easier to fight crime than to deal with people who are on the verge of committing a crime. This group of people is a "ticking time bomb", said Varone. It has been a worry for the police for years.
Since January 1, 2022, the Valais police have processed 1670 reports of threats, insults and slander. "That's enormous", said the commander. However, only a few of these reports are followed up.
Two people were killed and one injured in the shooting on December 11. The 36-year-old knew his victims and was in a legal dispute with them. At a hearing by the public prosecutor's office, the alleged perpetrator confessed to the crime. The man is presumed innocent, according to the Valais public prosecutor's office.
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