Austrian Police Spokesman Unable to Confirm If Murdered Russian Citizen is of Chechen Origin

VIENNA (Sputnik) - Law enforcement officials in Austria cannot yet confirm if a Russian citizen who was shot dead near Vienna was of Chechen origin, Lower Austria police spokesman Walter Schwarzenecker said on Sunday.

"It is known that a 43-year-old Russian citizen was found dead with a gunshot wound. Police began a search and at roughly 21:30 [19:30 GMT], a 47-year-old man was detained near Linz. He is also a Russian citizen", Schwarzenecker said.

When asked if the murdered citizen was of Chechen origin, the police spokesman said that he was not in a position to comment.

“I cannot confirm this yet. While we are talking about Russian citizens, their identities have yet to be confirmed”, Schwarzenecker said.

The Russian Embassy in Vienna has said that it is working to clarify all the information of the incident.

Meanwhile, the police in the Austrian state of Lower Austria have arrested another person in connection with the murder of a Russian asylum seeker in the town of Gerasdorf bei Wien not far from Vienna, local police spokeswoman Sonja Stamminger revealed.

"A second arrest has been conducted, but I cannot give details on its connection to the case, as it is a matter of an ongoing investigation. The investigation is carried out by the Lower Austrian agency for the protection of the constitution and fight against terrorism", Stamminger said.

According to Austrian media reports, an asylum seeker of Chechen origin was shot dead in the town of Gerasdorf bei Wien at approximately 19:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Saturday evening. Schwarzenecker said that the suspected gunman was arrested two hours later near the city of Linz.