Six dead in Stade shooting: Turkish-German man opens fire at care home
Six social workers were killed at a reception centre in Stade, Germany. The suspect, a Turkish citizen born in Germany, was in a custody dispute over his daughter.
Fatal shooting at mother and child care home in Stade: six social workers killed
A 45-year-old man, a Turkish citizen born in Germany and residing in Hanover, is suspected of opening fire at a reception centre for mothers and children in Stade, in the north of the country, killing six people, according to ici.radio-canada.ca. The victims — four women and two men — were social workers responsible for child protection.
The suspect had an appointment that day with several of the victims to discuss custody of his three-month-old daughter, who was present at the facility with her mother. Kathrin Schuol, director of Lüneburg police, confirmed this at a press conference, without specifying whether the mother and child were residing at the home. Both are unharmed.
Four dead on emergency services' arrival, two further deaths later
Emergency services, alerted by multiple calls, discovered four people shot dead upon arrival. Ms Schuol described the scene as being of a particularly brutal nature. A fifth victim died during resuscitation attempts; a sixth succumbed later to his wounds at the hospital. A seventh person was injured, with their condition remaining stable, a police spokesman told Agence France-Presse.
Car escape and forceful arrest
After the incident, the alleged shooter attempted to flee in a vehicle driven by a 65-year-old woman who maintained close ties with his family. Police opened fire on the car, without hitting either of the two occupants. Both were subsequently taken into custody.
The tabloid Bild broadcast amateur video presented as that of the arrest: it shows a vehicle with a punctured rear tyre, stopped by a substantial police presence. The driver, at gunpoint, exited the vehicle and lay down on the ground before being subdued by officers.
Suspect profile: known for threats, no weapons permit
According to a police statement, the suspect was known to authorities for threats but was not considered violent. He did not hold a weapons permit. The child's mother told investigators that she was no longer in a relationship with him. Authorities specified that there was no further danger to the public following the arrest.
A town hall representative also highlighted that a kindergarten and a school were located in the same neighbourhood, but had not been targeted.
Official reactions: "violence of an extreme cruelty"
Daniela Behrens, interior minister of the region, described the shooting as an "act of violence of extreme cruelty", motivated by a family dispute. German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned on X a "horrible act of violence" and said he was "deeply shocked by the scale of violence in a space meant to offer protection".
Context: Germany facing mass shootings
Germany has been struck by several deadly shootings in recent years. In March 2023, a 35-year-old man killed six members of his former Jehovah's Witnesses community in Hamburg before taking his own life. In February 2020, a right-wing extremist shot nine people in Hanau.
Alexandre Rodde, a researcher specialising in mass killings and terrorism, told Agence France-Presse that "the majority of mass killings — meaning four or more deaths — are instances of domestic violence". He recalled that in Europe, previous mass killings date back to 2025: that of Graz in Austria and that of Örebro in Sweden (ten deaths each), as well as that of Velestovo in Montenegro (thirteen deaths).
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)