Two charged with killing innocent man in gang feud

Two men have been charged with killing 21-year-old electrician Søren Koch, whom prosecutors describe as an innocent victim of a gang conflict in Viby J near Aarhus.

Koch was sitting in a car at the junction of Ringvej Syd and Søndervangs Allé shortly before 1 a.m. on March 8, 2022, when he was struck by a gunshot. He died at the scene, according to the police account.

The defendants, aged 31 and 33, have both been charged under Denmark’s gang provision. If the Aarhus City Court finds that the killing formed part of a gang conflict, the designation could substantially increase their sentences. Senior prosecutor Rikke Schmit told the court that both men have gang affiliations.

The prosecution has not disclosed which man allegedly fired the shot. The indictment states only that the two acted together. The younger defendant was charged in November 2022. The older man was arrested by police in Belfast in September 2024 and extradited to Denmark on May 26, 2026. He was placed in pretrial detention the following day.

Prosecutors will seek prison sentences for both men. They also want the 33-year-old deported from Denmark with a permanent ban on returning. Authorities may additionally seek to strip the 31-year-old of Danish citizenship and deport him. Both men deny the charges. The case will be heard in Aarhus, although no trial date has been set.