German man convicted, given life sentence for killing gas station clerk following a dispute over face masks

A man in Germany was convicted of murder and given a life sentence Tuesday for fatally shooting a gas station clerk following a dispute over face masks.

The September 2021 killing in the western town of Idar-Oberstein shocked the country. The defendant also was convicted of illegal weapons possession because he didn't have a license for the gun used in the killing, German news agency dpa reported.

Authorities have said the 50-year-old man told officers he acted "out of anger" while trying to buy beer at the gas station after the 20-year-old clerk, identified as Alex W., refused to serve him without a mask.