German man convicted for killing worker over mask rules

A German man was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison after shooting and killing a gas station worker following an argument about face masks.

The killer, named in local media as Mario N., was also convicted of illegal weapons possession because he did not have a license for the weapon he used in the killing.

The shooting occurred Sept. 18, 2021 in Idar-Oberstein when the man, now 50, tried to buy two six packs of beer but was refused service and ejected because he was not wearing a mask.

Mario returned to the store less than two hours later wearing a mask, but removed it to argue with the 20-year-old cashier. After the worker asked him to put it back on, the man shot the worker.

“He stated in his interrogation that he rejected the coronavirus protective measures” and acted “out of anger,” police said after he turned himself in a day later.

German news outlets typically refrain from publishing criminal defendants’ full names.

During the trial, prosecutors said the shooter’s radical right-wing views and hatred of the government were the main motives behind the killing. They added that the man saw the clerk as a representative of the government because he was enforcing coronavirus rules and wanted to “make an example.”

During the six-month trial, the defense angled for a manslaughter conviction because Mario was intoxicated when he shot the clerk, arguing he shouldn’t be held completely criminally responsible.

The killer may become eligible for early release after 15 years.

With News Wire Services