Police in front of house waiting for key at moment of murder

Photo: Elmo Riig / Sakala

Last Friday in Viljandi, policemen were waiting downstairs to unlock apartment house main door while Rene (38) having obtained stepfather's weapon fired a deadly shot in the staircase. From there, all the police could do is arrest the murderer as, regrettably, the victim was beyond help. 

Why Rene, living on second floor of No 22 Valuoja St Viljandi desired to lay hold of the weapon and proceeded to attack a third floor apartment, we know not. Prosecutors say no motive has emerged why the man, formerly treated at a closed clinic, would thus act.  

The tragic events begun about 20 minutes before the fatal shot as Rene fired bullets into door of his neighbour. At home was a young woman with child 9 months old, who failed to grasp initially she was being targeted by firearm.

Notice 15 minutes before murder

At 12:14 PM, alarm centre got a call an apartment door was being broken in the house. The one who called said the door had been hit with some item, followed by a bang resulting in a notch in the door. Also, the one calling said she was home alone with her baby and dared not look out the door.

The centre registered the call at 12:14 pm and forwarded it to police which arrived at the scene at 12:25 pm.

About the same, time the murdered victim Alar (39) got a call as well. We know not if the call was by the lady in the apartment or her husband, but the man said he’d come around and see what was happening.

Alar was about to go to Spain with family. The suitcases had been packed and in the car. Having checked the situation, they were supposed to head to the airport. At the house No 22, the two minor children waited in the car while father and mother went into the apartment.

Promptly, Alar realised the apartment door had been shot. The police already notified, Alar and his wife decided to leave the apartment. Having taken a few steps, shots were fired again in the staircase.

Both women fled to the back room with the baby. As Alar also entered, he said at the door: «I think I was hit.» He made it to the living room where he died of the wound in the back despite the efforts of medical crew.

Cutting open weapons safe

Why Rene grabbed the weapon and fired, isn’t known. The neighbours said they did not consider the man dangerous. Neither do we know of any conflicts between Rene dwelling with mother and stepfather, and the young family who moved into the house in July 2014.

The week before, however, some strange incidents had indeed happened. At the beginning of the week, electricity was switched off from the staircase, blackening out the third floor flat. A while later, cold water was turned off in the apartment. The residents begun to think this may have been the doing of Rene.

What we do know is that on Friday, Rene went to a store and purchased a circular cutter and proceeded to cut open the weapons safe of his stepfather, a former policeman.

While Rene was shooting in the staircase, at 12:25 pm the policemen having arrived were waiting for front door to be opened. Having called the woman on third floor, they had told her to throw then the key. Before they got these, however, notice came from alarm centre that there is shooting in the house and someone has been hurt.   

The second call to alarm centre was at 12:30 pm from same number as the first one.

«At 12:32 PM alarm centre registered priority D injury i.e. fatal condition,» said public relations manager Jaana Padrik.

The first medical staff arrived 1.5 minutes after getting the message. Meanwhile, Rene tried to run from the police having left the weapon behind. Warned by a shot in the air, he surrendered.

Rene is under criminal proceeding regarding murder and attempted murder. If convicted, maximal sentence is for life.