Erwin Mikolajczyk

Mass murderer

6known / alleged victims

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Case Facts

Gender: male
Country: Germany
Location: Euskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Date of birth: 1954
Age at first offence: 40
Characteristics: revenge, murder-suicide, drugs
Victim profile: Peter Kurth / Vera Lamesic, 56 / Agnes Müller / Peter Preuß / Marianne Rübsam / Alexander Schäfer, 33 (the judge who had convicted him)
Method of murder: Shooting (.45-caliber Colt pistol)
Date(s) of murder: March 9, 1994
Years active: 1994
Date of arrest: —
Status: Died in custody
Killed himself by detonating a homemade bomb on March 9, 1994, after the Euskirchen court shooting.

Case Summary

Case overview

Erwin Mikolajczyk killed himself by detonating a homemade bomb the same day as the Euskirchen court shooting. The mass murder occurred at the district court in Euskirchen, Germany on March 9, 1994.

Timeline

March 9, 1994 — Mikolajczyk re-entered the court building after his appeal against a sentence for assaulting his former girlfriend ended with an upholding of his conviction.
March 9, 1994 — Armed with a .45-caliber Colt pistol and a homemade bomb in a backpack, Mikolajczyk fatally shot Vera Lamesic, two women who had accompanied her, and two other people.
March 9, 1994 — Mikolajczyk entered the court room and killed Alexander Schäfer, the judge who had convicted him.
March 9, 1994 — When he ran out of bullets, Mikolajczyk detonated the bomb, killing himself.
March 9, 1994 — A total of eight people were also wounded in the attack.

The offence

Mikolajczyk re-entered the court building with a .45-caliber Colt pistol and a homemade bomb in a backpack shortly after his appeal against a sentence for assaulting his former girlfriend had ended with an upholding of his conviction. In the hallway, he fatally shot Vera Lamesic, two women who had accompanied her, and two other people. He then entered the court room where he killed Alexander Schäfer, the judge who had convicted him. After running out of bullets, Mikolajczyk killed himself by detonating the bomb.

A total of eight people were also wounded in the attack.

Victims and casualties

Fatalities

Peter Kurth
Vera Lamesic
56 (associated with Agnes Müller)
Agnes Müller
Peter Preuß
Marianne Rübsam
Alexander Schäfer, 33

Wounded

Eight people were wounded in the attack.

Mikolajczyk had been convicted in connection with assaulting his former girlfriend, Vera Lamesic. The conviction had been upheld on appeal.

Trial, sentencing, and appeal history

Mikolajczyk was found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend and was forced to pay a fine of 7200 DM. He appealed the finding. On March 9, his appeal was rejected, and after the rejection Mikolajczyk was seen afterward storming out of the courthouse.

Aftermath

After the attack, Mikolajczyk’s dismembered corpse was discovered outside in the street.

Other details

Mikolajczyk collected gumboots, allegedly having 140 at his home, and had written a name and date on each boot. He also liked wearing army fatigues and collected guns, and he belonged to the local gun club. He lived in Bonn, Germany, and worked as a boilerman. He had been charged with assault in late 1993 by his girlfriend.

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