Friedrich Leibacher

Friedrich Heinz Leibacher (21 July 1944 – 27 September 2001) was a Swiss mass murderer who killed 14 members of the Zug canton Parliament and injured 18 others, before committing suicide in the Zug massacre.[1]

Friedrich Heinz Leibacher
Born
Friedrich Heinz Leibacher

21 July 1944
Died27 September 2001(2001-09-27) (aged 57)
Zug, Switzerland
Cause of deathSuicide
Details
Date27 September 2001
Location(s)Zug, Switzerland
Killed15 (including himself)
Injured18
Weapons

Personal background

Leibacher had been employed in business, and had several failed marriages to women from the Dominican Republic, with one of whom with he had a daughter. In 1970 he was convicted of incest, theft, forgery and traffic offences,[2] and sentenced to 18 months' detention. He served his sentence in a work-training institution.

After leaving detention, Leibacher became unemployed. Doctors diagnosed a personality disorder and alcoholism and he received an invalidity pension. In 1998 he was convicted of threatening a bus driver employed by the Zug transport company.[2] Leibacher was upset by his treatment, and wrote frequently to the authorities with letters of complaint. The passage of time did not diminish his grievance as Leibacher began to believe he was the target of a government conspiracy led by Robert Bisig, a Cantonal Minister. He sued Bisig but in September 2001 his actions were dismissed by the court.

Zug massacre

At 10:30 a.m. on 27 September 2001, Leibacher entered the Zug Parliament disguised as a police officer and armed with a pistol, a revolver, a pump-action shotgun, and a rifle. He made his way to the Parliament chamber where he fired 91 shots randomly. Politicians and journalists alike were hit, although Robert Bisig escaped unscathed. Finally, Leibacher detonated a small home-made bomb, then shot himself. He left behind a suicide note describing his action as a "day of rage for the Zug mafia".[3]

Victims

[1]

  • Herbert Arnet, 50
  • Peter Bossard, 63
  • Martin Döbeli, 57
  • Jean-Paul Flachsmann, 65
  • Karl Gretener, 40
  • Heinz Grüter, 53
  • Konrad Häusler, 45
  • Dorothea Heimgartner-Häller, 53
  • Monika Hutter-Häfliger, 52
  • Erich Iten, 44
  • Katharina Langenegger-Lipp, 59
  • Kurt Nussbaumer, 49
  • Rolf Nussbaumer, 36
  • Wilhelm Wismer, 44

References

  1. Untersuchungsrichterlicher Schlußbericht (German)
  2. Fleck, Fiona (29 September 2001). "'Forgotten' row may have led to Swiss massacre". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  3. "Gunman kills 14 in Swiss assembly". BBC News. 27 September 2001. Retrieved 14 March 2008.



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