Several people were killed in a shooting in the northern German city of Stade on Monday, according to local police.
Police initially reported the deaths of five adults, but later on Monday said this had increased to six. Five people died at the scene, while the sixth died in hospital from injuries sustained during the firing. Police said in a statement.
What do we know about the stadium shooting?
Stade police said two people, including the suspected shooter, had been arrested. Reuters news agency quoted a police spokesman as saying that no other suspects were on the run.
Many people were also injured in the incident, but the police did not reveal the exact number.
“Gunshots were fired near a youth center in the city centre,” German news agency dpa quoted a police spokesman as saying. The facility includes temporary housing for pregnant women or young mothers with children.
A police spokesman told the AFP news agency that the shooting was likely an “extended family tragedy”.
“This does not appear to be a case of femicide or any political motive,” the speaker said, adding that the motive instead appeared to be “rooted in the environment of the youth welfare centre.”
Daniela Behrens, the interior minister of Lower Saxony, the state where Stade is located, insisted there was no “political or economic motive” for the attack. He described it as an “extremely brutal act of violence”.
What do we know about the shooting suspects, victims?
All those killed in the shooting were staff members of the youth centre, Chief Constable Catherine Schull of Lunenburg police headquarters said at a press conference on Monday.
These included four women and two men.
The suspect is a 45-year-old German.
Shuol said the motive is believed to be a child custody dispute.
Police said the suspect was in a custody battle over his three-month-old daughter.
The girl and her mother were in the office at the time of the firing but were unharmed.
A spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office said during the press conference that no arrest warrant has yet been issued for the main suspect. The warrant will depend on further investigation by the police.
The suspected shooter was arrested after he fled in a car driven by a woman who was also arrested with him. Initial findings from investigators suggest the driver is an acquaintance or family member of the suspected shooter.
Where did the shooting take place?
City councilor Carsten Brockelman said the shooting occurred near a day care center and a primary school.
“We are relieved that our staff and the children at the day care center and primary school are safe, and I want to thank police officers for their efforts in this chaotic situation,” he said in an online statement. “At the same time, our deepest condolences go out to the victims of this horrific act and their families.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also reacted to the shooting, calling the incident “extremely shocking”.
“Too many people, who wanted to help and protect others, lost their lives or were injured,” Merz posted on his
Pictures from the shooting scene showed several emergency services personnel, ambulances and police cars.
Stade police had earlier said in a statement shared on WhatsApp that a “major operation” was underway on Dankerstrasse, calling on citizens to stay away from the area and follow instructions from emergency services at the scene.
But later Monday police said there was “no longer any threat to the public.”
Stade has about 50,000 inhabitants and is located to the west of Hamburg.
Germany has very strict gun laws, some of the strictest in Europe.
Mass shootings are relatively rare in the country, but they do occur from time to time.
Monday’s shooting was one of the deadliest in recent memory.
Police have warned against giving false information regarding the shooting
Police warned that unconfirmed information about the situation on the ground was being shared in chat groups and social media.
“Maths [of events] “The facts currently circulating do not match those confirmed by the police,” it reads in a WhatsApp statement.
Police urged the public to avoid sharing unverified reports, voice messages or rumours.
“This could create uncertainty and hamper police operations,” officials said.
Edited by: Srinivas Majumdaru, Roshni Majumdar and Wesley Dockery
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