Six killed in shooting at German youth facility, police say
Police and rescuers attend the scene of a shooting in Stade in northern Germany
(CNN) — Four women and two men have been killed in a shooting at a youth welfare facility in the northern German city of Stade, police said on Monday.
Stade police said several others were injured in the shooting. Five people died at the scene, while a sixth person succumbed to their injuries in hospital, police said. All were adults.
The victims were employees of the facility, not residents, a German police official said in a briefing, Reuters news agency reported.
The alleged perpetrator, who was arrested shortly after the shooting occurred, is a 45-year-old male Turkish citizen, police said on Monday evening. He was born in Germany.
An investigation into the circumstances of the shooting is ongoing, but authorities believe the suspect’s motive could be related to his family.
“He had an appointment at the youth welfare facility with various staff members regarding custody of his three-month-old daughter,” police said in a statement.
The suspect’s daughter – and her 34-year-old mother – were both present at the time of the shooting. “The daughter was placed in the custody of the youth welfare office. The mother is currently still subject to police measures,” police said.
In addition, a 65-year-old woman – who police said was the driver of a getaway vehicle and has close ties to the family involved – was also taken into police custody.
The area has been cleared and there is no ongoing threat to the public, police told CNN. Police have asked the public to avoid the area.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz both issued messages of condolence to the families of those affected, while thanking emergency services for their assistance.
Local councillor Carsten Brokelmann said that the city operates a daycare facility and a primary school in the immediate vicinity of where the shooting happened.
“We are relieved that our staff and the children in the daycare center and elementary school are all safe and well, and I would like to thank the police officers for their service in this chaotic situation,” he said in a statement.
“At the same time, our deepest sympathies go out to the victims of this terrible act and their families,” Brokelmann said.
The police force has warned that unverified information about the incident has appeared online, and asked people not to spread any rumours as this could hinder the investigation.
Stade, some 45 kilometres (27 miles) west from Hamburg, is a historical town of about 50,000 people.
Mass shooting incidents are rare in Germany. The country has strict gun ownership laws requiring a license. To get a permit to own a gun, residents need to demonstrate they are reliable, undergo a training course and an exam and prove their need to own a weapon.
According to German government data, some 929,000 people in the country of 83 million own just over 3 million guns.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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CNN’s Ivana Kottasová and Billy Stockwell contributed to this report.
