Assassination of Martin Beiter
| Assassination of Martin Beiter | |
|---|---|
| Location | Melmingia, Maurenmark, Besmenia |
| Date | May 5, 1991 9:34 PM |
| Target | Martin Beiter |
Attack type | Sniper assassination |
| Deaths | Martin Beiter |
Non-fatal injuries | Leon Dänkmann |
| Perpetrators | Michael-Joe Lammer |
Martin Beiter, the 8th Prime Minister of Besmenia, was assassinated on May 5, 1991, in Melmingia, Maurenmark, by the mentally ill Michael-Joe Lammer with revolver shots.
Assassination
At an election campaign event for the 1991 Maurenmark state election, Beiter gave a speech in support of the then incumbent Governor of Maurenmark Daniel Ulfborn in front of an audience of 232 people in a restaurant. When Beiter left the restaurant hall surrounded by numerous people, the perpetrator approached him when he was the first to go to the front door. The attack took place around 9:34 p.m. The attacker aimed from the front and fired two shots at Beiter from 60 centimeters away with a revolver. Beiter was hit in the head. The bodyguard Leon Dänkmann was injured by a third shot in the hand while attempting to knock the gun out of the hand of the perpetrator. The attacker was overwhelmed and arrested.
Aftermatch
Reactions after the assassination
Reactions in Besmenia
The death of Martin Beiter came as a shock to the Besmenian public. People cried in public everywhere. Many peoples left their jobs to watch reports of the attack on the radio or television. Concerts and events were canceled nationwide for the next days.
After Beiter's death, Vice Prime Minister Doris Klammer temporarily took over the position of Prime Minister for a week. She ordered a 3 day state mourning. On May 15, the Federal Chamber elected Kurt Stöger as Prime Minister, who was since 1980 Minister for Foreign affairs and a closest confidant of Beiter. Stöger took office on the same day. Stöger was to hold office for the remaining 19 months before the next elections.
In August 1991, the Federal Chamber designated the 5th May as Martin Beiter Memorial Day.
Reactions in other countries
The death of the liberal Prime Minister was also a shock in other countries.