Sixfold murder in Stade: Gunman's wife attacked dying social worker
A 45-year-old man opened fire in a youth facility in Stade, killing six people. New details reveal the extent of the violence.
Six dead after shots fired at Stade youth welfare facility – new details of the bloodshed
Alarming details continue to emerge in the Stade sixfold murder, reports BILD. A 45-year-old Turkish national from Garbsen near Hannover opened fire on Monday midday in a mother-and-child facility in the Lower Saxony town – in the middle of a support planning meeting.
Six people killed, perpetrator flees with hostage
When police and emergency services arrived, four people lay dead in the facility. A fifth person died despite resuscitation attempts at the scene, and a sixth succumbed to their injuries later in hospital. Among the dead are two women and one man who were staff members of the youth office of the Hannover region present at the facility, as well as two women and one man from the Stade facility itself. The daughter of the alleged perpetrator and her mother remained uninjured.
After the attack, the gunman fled in a car, whose driver he forced at gunpoint to assist his escape, according to Der Spiegel. Officers shot out the vehicle's tyres and detained both occupants. The 64-year-old driver had sent papers to several media outlets in the days before the attack in which she identified herself as godmother to the baby. She was questioned and subsequently released from custody.
Custody dispute as alleged motive
Investigators are operating on the assumption that an escalated custody dispute triggered the attack. The youth office had sought to restrict the father's custody rights after a medical assessment by Hannover Medical School (MHH) found injuries on the five-week-old baby. The child had been admitted as an emergency to a Hannover clinic in April; doctors diagnosed brain haemorrhage and suspected shaken baby syndrome. The parents denied this. The Hannover state prosecutor's office investigated both parents on suspicion of abuse of dependants, and both were stripped of parental custody for health care. Later, authorities permitted the mother and child to live together in the Stade facility. Monday's meeting was intended to clarify support measures and contact rules for the family.
Perpetrator repeatedly flagged for aggression
Several media outlets name the alleged perpetrator as Fatih Khan G. – police have not officially confirmed the name. According to official sources, he is a Turkish national born in Germany who is known to police and is regarded as conspicuous, aggressive and difficult.
During the baby's treatment in Hannover, the father became aggressive towards the treating physicians according to their accounts. Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that during the course of several weeks of treatment he threatened doctors and said: "If anything happens to my daughter…" He also involved police to try to prevent an emergency operation. The doctors filed a complaint against him. According to media reports, the staff members of the Hannover youth office travelled in a group of three because they expected at least a difficult conversation.
BILD further reported that the man is accused in Turkey of the sexual abuse of a daughter from a previous relationship. He is said to have fled Turkish custody and subsequently gone into hiding in Germany – the German authorities were unaware of this until the attack.
Murder weapon acquired for approximately 4,000 euros
The alleged murder weapon, a Beretta Model 70 according to NDR, was found on the suspect upon arrest. The 45-year-old is said to have acquired it a week before the attack on the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin and paid approximately 4,000 euros for it together with 21 rounds of ammunition. Police have not officially confirmed these details. Police and the state prosecutor's office merely stated uniformly that the man had neither a licence to possess nor carry a firearm.
Investigations continue against the child's mother
The child's mother, 34 years old according to police, and the child were sent out of the room by the father shortly before the shots were fired, according to Der Spiegel. However, possible involvement of the woman in the crime remains the subject of investigations. The driver of the escape vehicle is also under investigation. According to the state prosecutor's office, whether and what charges will be brought can only be decided after investigations are completed.
National shock, chancellor and state premier respond
The attack triggered shock across Germany. Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared he was "shaken to the core". Lower Saxony's Minister-President Olaf Lies expressed dismay at the "cruelty and brutality with which the perpetrator proceeded there" and emphasised that the victims were people "who dedicate themselves every day to ensuring that other people have a future". The Hannover region stated that colleagues had lost their lives whilst carrying out their responsible work.
Source: BILD