On the night of August 13, 1961 one group of travelers were on a train headed toward West Berlin, when the train suddenly stopped. They were told to cross the remainder of the border on foot. When they were passing through the Brandenburg Gate, the lights went out and the East German militia rushed the streets carrying rifles and machine guns. By August 26th all crossing points were closed for West Berlin citizens.
People were very creative when trying make it across. Although most made it across easier right away when the wall was being built, some even tried flying in hot air balloons. The time of the Berlin Wall seperated families. This made family members try to get to the other side of the wall leading to death.
On August 17, 1962 an 18 year old boy was shot and bled to death while trying to escape across the wall. The last to die trying to escape was Chris Gueffroy on June 2, 1989. This is just 2 of many people who tried to escape over the wall. Around 1,000 people died trying to make it across, and others did indeed make it across.
The wall was protected by guards and a zone called "no-man's land". This was a 100 meter zone that was used to control the border. This "no man's land" was guarded daily by tanks and soldiers, stopping people trying to escape to West Germany. East German patrols were not told to shoot right away. They were instructed to yell a verbal warning, next warning shots, and if escapee did not listen they were shot.