Updated ,first published
Berlin: Five people were killed in a shooting on Monday at a youth welfare center in the northern German city of Stade, police said. Two people were arrested, including the suspected shooter.
Police said four women and one man died and several people were injured, some seriously, German news agency dpa reported. They did not provide specific statistics or information on the identity of the victims.
Police said the shooting happened in the Dankersstrasse station, a street south of the city center. The center includes temporary accommodation for pregnant women or new mothers with children.
There was no danger to the public, police said. Video footage after the shooting showed the presence of many police officers, as well as other emergency services personnel and several ambulances on the residential street.
Police said they were working to find out the background to the shooting and what exactly happened.
German gun laws are more restrictive than those in the United States, and mass shootings are rare but not unheard of.
Vitali Mertens, who lives across the street from the scene, said he heard gunshots and “the whole area was surrounded immediately”. He added that “the police chased me”.
Stade has about 50,000 inhabitants and is located about 40 kilometers from Hamburg.
AP
Get direct mail from our visitors journalists on what is making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
