Soldier Fatally Shoots 23-Year-Old Man During Family Celebration in Karavelovo

A military serviceman fatally shot a 23-year-old man during a family gathering in the village of Karavelovo, near Karlovo, on July 17. The Military District Prosecutor’s Office in Plovdiv is overseeing a pre-trial investigation into a murder committed with an air rifle.

The incident was reported at around 2.00 am. Police officers who arrived at the scene found that a 23-year-old man had been shot at a gathering on the occasion of the birth of a child in the yard of a house. According to the evidence gathered, a 30-year-old serviceman was showing an air rifle to those present, producing a shot with it and the pellet hit the chest of a man sitting opposite him. He died a few minutes later.

The serviceman was tested for alcohol, and the breathalyser showed a blood alcohol content of 1.7‰. He has been detained for 24 hours under the Military Police Act.

Initial reports suggest that the air rifle was legally registered, although this is subject to further verification and the relevant documentation will be requested. Charges are expected to be brought against the detained individual.

Today, relatives of the deceased 23-year-old expressed their shock and grief. The local community is devastated. Locals in the village are in shock. He lived in Sopot and worked for a prestigious local firm.

Ivanka Kostadinova, a relative of the deceased:

“Of course we are devastated. Two young boys. One was about to welcome his child, and now one is in prison, and the other in the grave. It’s an absolutely horrific situation. From what I’ve heard, and from the pictures I saw last night, they had gathered to celebrate the birth of the baby.”