On March 6, 1981, Marianne Bachmeier entered a courtroom in Lübeck, Germany, pulled a gun from her purse, and shot Klaus Grabowski, the man accused of kidnapping, abusing, and murdering her 7-year-old daughter, Anna Bachmeier.
Grabowski, a convicted sex offender, had confessed to killing Anna in 1980 but denied sexually abusing her and even tried blaming the child during his trial. Furious and devastated, Marianne took revenge during the court proceedings, firing eight shots and killing him on the spot.
She was arrested immediately and later convicted of premeditated manslaughter and illegal firearm possession, receiving a six-year sentence but serving only three years. Her case divided Germany, with many viewing her as a grieving mother seeking justice, while others condemned the act as vigilantism.
Marianne later moved abroad before returning to Germany after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died in 1996 and was buried beside her daughter in Lübeck.