Car driven into crowd near Hanover – police open fire on vehicle
In Neustadt am Rübenberge, a car was deliberately driven into a group of people; four to five people were injured. The suspects fled on foot.
Police open fire on fleeing vehicle following attack in Neustadt am Rübenberge
In the Lower Saxony town of Neustadt am Rübenberge, a car was deliberately driven into a group of people in the early hours of Tuesday. According to ksta.de, four to five people were injured, some of them seriously. The exact number of those injured was not immediately clear.
All those injured were taken to hospital, but according to a police spokeswoman, none are in life-threatening condition. Officers who were on the scene at the time conducting a nearby traffic stop opened fire on the vehicle to bring it to a halt. According to police, there was no indication of a terrorist motive.
The suspects – their exact number was initially unknown – left the vehicle on foot and fled. The subsequent search remained unsuccessful, the spokeswoman said. A dpa reporter reported several damaged cars in the area: flat tyres, a destroyed rear window and bullet holes.
The background to the incident, which occurred shortly before midnight at Schützenplatz in Neustadt, was initially unclear. However, investigators believe that those involved knew each other. The alleged perpetrators had deliberately selected the group of people, not randomly, the spokeswoman said. It had been a small group.
"The course of events and the exact participation in the act remain the subject of the investigation," she said. Evidence gathering was also ongoing.
The operation was large-scale: police were present with numerous, partly heavily armed units as well as a helicopter. Fire services and emergency services also responded. The scene was cordoned off over a wide area to secure evidence. The damaged vehicle was towed away, and the cordon around the scene was later lifted.
Source: Google News LU DE