Shooting in Stade: Six Dead in Family Tragedy
A 45-year-old man opened fire at a mother and child centre in Stade and killed six people. The suspected perpetrator was later arrested.
Shooting in Stade: Six Dead in Family Tragedy
Six people were killed in a firearm attack at a mothers and children's facility in Stade, a city in northern Germany. A 45-year-old man who was in a custody dispute with the mother of his three-month-old daughter is suspected of carrying out the attack, according to La Presse.
The man had arranged an appointment with several of the later victims to discuss custody of his baby. The mother and child were in the building at the time of the attack and remained unharmed. The six victims – four women and two men – were employed as social workers in child protection services.
When emergency responders arrived, they found four people who were already dead. A fifth person died during resuscitation attempts, and a sixth succumbed to their injuries later in hospital. There was also one injured person whose condition was reported as stable.
The suspected perpetrator subsequently attempted to flee in a vehicle driven by a 65-year-old woman who was said to be closely connected to his family. Officers opened fire on the car but did not hit either of the occupants. Both were taken into custody.
The suspect is a Turkish national born in Germany from Hannover. He was already known to authorities for making threats but was not considered violent. He did not have legal firearm ownership. The child's mother stated that she had already ended her relationship with him.
Daniela Behrens, the responsible interior minister, described the incident as an "act of extreme cruelty". Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned a "horrific act of violence" on X and expressed himself to be deeply shaken by the violence in what should be a protective space.
Police emphasised that there was no longer any danger to the public. A nursery school and a school in the neighbourhood were not targets of the attacker.
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)