A 49-year-old Cameroonian man living illegally in Germany was shot dead in the back of an Uber in Düsseldorf’s station district on Thursday night in what appears to be a targeted attack. The perpetrators remain at large, with police actively searching for the suspects.
According to investigators, the victim was chased by at least three men and shot through the window of the vehicle he had entered in an attempt to escape.
Bild reported that surveillance footage and witness testimonies indicate the attackers had waited for him outside a hotel where the victim had booked a room.
The victim ran to a waiting Uber and got into the backseat. As the car drove off, it stopped at a red light a few meters away. The three men caught up on foot, and one of them fired through the passenger-side window, killing the Cameroonian before fleeing. Emergency responders attempted to revive the victim, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Investigators located several ammunition shells next to the victim on the backseat of the vehicle.
The Uber driver, though physically unharmed, suffered from severe shock.
Investigators have since uncovered that the victim was already known to the police for offenses including counterfeiting, illegal residence, and fraud. A fake French passport was discovered at the crime scene, initially listing the man as 35 years old, but an identity verification process confirmed he was actually 49 and a non-EU citizen.
“The victim was illegally in Germany,” prosecutor Markus Klein told Bild.
German authorities had reportedly been seeking him for questioning regarding his criminal activities.
The hotel room where the victim had been staying was searched as part of the investigation, and authorities are now working to trace his last contacts before the attack. It is believed the altercation prior to the murder could have been over counterfeit money.
The case is being treated as manslaughter, but given the execution-style nature of the shooting, authorities are considering possible links to organized crime or financial disputes.
The investigation is ongoing, and Düsseldorf police have urged any witnesses to come forward.
