At least five dead in a shooting in northern Germany
The police have arrested two suspects, one of whom would be the perpetrator of the attack in the city of Stade, in Lower Saxony
BarcelonaAt least five people, all adults, died this Monday in a shooting that took place at a youth care center in the city of Stade, in the German state of Lower Saxony, as confirmed by the police. Several more people were injured, some seriously, while authorities warn that the victim toll could increase. The alleged perpetrator of the shots has been arrested, along with a second person. The causes of the serious incident are unknown at the moment.
The events have triggered a large police and emergency deployment in this city of about 50,000 inhabitants, located about 45 kilometers west of Hamburg. Two helicopters have flown over the urban center while officers tried to control a situation that, according to the police, was initially very confusing. The population has been urged to avoid the area of the events.
The shooting is believed to have occurred around 1:45 PM on Dankersstraße, in or around the aforementioned social center, which hosts youth assistance programs and also housing for mothers with children. According to information published by the German newspaper "Bild", the space functioned as a social reception center.
Unknowns
The first investigations indicate that several shots were heard inside the premises. A witness cited by the digital media Focus Online has reported that a woman and a young man allegedly tried to flee the scene by car, and that the police allegedly opened fire after the vehicle ignored orders to stop. According to this version, between 10 and 15 shots were heard, a fact that has not been officially confirmed.
In the following hours, psychological support teams arrived at the affected center to attend to witnesses and those affected. The motivations for the incident remain unclear.
The city councilor, Carsten Brokelmann, has expressed his condolences to the victims and their families and thanked the emergency services for their response in a situation he described as "extremely confusing". Local authorities are confident that the investigation will soon clarify the facts.