Armed Robbery at Upper Austria Church
At 2:15 in the afternoon of March 9, 2016, three men entered the rectory of the Catholic parish in Laakirchen of the Linz diocese and, armed with a handgun, demanded cash from the priest and a member of his staff.
The perpetrators tied the 56-year-old priest, Franz Starlinger, and his 59-year-old employee with cable ties and adhesive tape. The gunmen stole the contents of the safe, which included funds for parish groups, as well as money that had been collected for a needy family. The two victims were able to free themselves and, although physically unharmed, were deeply shocked by this attack. Police investigated and began a manhunt for the perpetrators. Sources: nachrichten.at and kathpress.at