While investigating the area near the border, the two Stasi agents met two men who were assisting an escape operation in the foyer of the building at Strelitzer Straße 55.

The escape helpers mistook the Stasi agents for escapees, and were able to leave the building without raising suspicion by claiming that they had to get a friend who had just been released from custody.

[2] Taking several months to accomplish, a group of West Berlin students dug a 145-meter (475') long tunnel in secrecy, which began at a closed bakery on Bernauer Straße, and continued eleven meters (36') underground to an outhouse located in the courtyard of the building at Strelitzer Strasse 55.

At about half past midnight, the two Stasi agents returned with the border guards, including Schultz, who approached Furrer before he recognized much too late that a gun was pointed in his direction.

Familiar with the surroundings, Furrer quickly receded into the courtyard and, before disappearing into the tunnel, warned his friends of the incoming guards.

As the Stasi agents and border guards entered the courtyard there was an exchange of gunfire with the escape helpers, where Schultz was hit in the shoulder by a bullet from Zobel's gun, causing him to fall to the ground.

While attempting to get back up, Schultz was hit again by a larger 7.62x39mm round fired from the Kalashnikov rifle used by a fellow border guard.

In November 1965, the West Berlin public prosecutor closed the case against the escape helpers, after charging them only a fine for illegal possession of a weapon.

[2] A memorial plaque was erected on 4 January 1965, on the house at Strelitzer Straße 55, commemorating Schultz's death and denouncing the West Berlin agents involved in the "assassination".

Neues Deutschland embarked on a major campaign asking for donations to help cover the costs of legal counsel and court fees for the border soldiers who, from the viewpoint of the fundraising initiators, were being unlawfully prosecuted.

Almost 200,000 German marks were donated, managed by the "Gesellschaft für rechtliche und humanitäre Hilfe" (Society for Legal and Humanitarian Aid), an association of former Stasi, border troop and Communist Party members.

[2] In response to the investigation against the border guards and Stasi agents, in May 1994, private individuals pressed charges against Reinhard Furrer for supposedly murdering Egon Schultz.