Submit a citation →
Index  ›  crime  ›  Metro
crime · Metro ↗

Six killed after gunman opens fire 'in custody dispute' at mother's shelter

Metro Published Jun 29, 2026 Reviewed Jul 3, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Six killed after gunman opens fire 'in custody dispute' at mother's shelter
Six people are dead following a shooting at a shelter for mothers in Germany.
6 · people dead
Four women and one man were originally reported dead, with a sixth adult now confirmed to have died of wounds in hospital.
4 · women dead1 · men dead1 · adult dead
Bild reported that officers have detained two suspects after a gunman opened fire at a youth welfare centre.
2 suspects · detained Bild, news organisation
Local police reported that the motive for the shooting is believed to be a custody dispute over a three-month-old baby girl.
3 months · age of baby Local police, police force
A witness told German broadcaster NIUS that police had shot out three of the car's tyres.
3 tyres · shot out A witness
NIUS reported that police shot out three tyres of a car at the scene.
3 tyres · tyres shot out NIUS, broadcaster
Emergency services responded to the shooting in Stade, a city 60 km west of Hamburg in Lower Saxony, this morning.
60 km · distance from Hamburg
The suspect’s child and her 34-year-old mother survived the attack.
34 years · mother
Police had fired at the car from some distance away and shot out three of the tyres. That was about all that could be seen from where we were—we just saw the two occupants being arrested.
3 · tyres shot2 · occupants arrested witness, witness
Located in the lower regions of the River Elbe, Stade is home to around 50,000 inhabitants.
about 50000 · inhabitants
In 2023, a gunman shot six people in Hamburg before killing himself at a Jehovah’s Witness hall.
6 · people shot2023 · year
An 18-year-old German-Iranian killed at least nine people in Munich after having an obsession with mass killings.
18 years · German-Iranianat least 9 · people killed
Police shot out three tyres of a car during the operation.
Witness
The suspect reportedly had a custody appointment at the facility, alongside many of the victims.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Six people are dead following a shooting at a shelter for mothers in Germany.

Emergency services responded to the shooting in Stade, a city 60 km west of Hamburg in Lower Saxony, this morning.

Officers have detained two suspects after a gunman opened fire at the youth welfare centre on Dankersstraße, according to Bild.

The centre is believed to help new and expectant mothers escape from domestic abuse.

Local police reported the motive for the shooting is believed to be a custody dispute over a three-month-old baby girl.

The suspect reportedly had a custody appointment at the facility, alongside many of the victims.

The suspect’s child and her 34-year-old mother survived the attack.

Pictures of the mass shooting showed police surrounding a car after they shot the tyres out.

Young mothers with children were seen being escorted to safety from the scene.

Four women and one man were originally reported dead, with a sixth adult now confirmed to have died of wounds in hospital.

Both the gunman’s motives and the role of the second suspect, who is in custody, remain unclear, police said.

A witness told German broadcaster NIUS: ‘Police had fired at the car from some distance away and shot out three of the tyres.

The Lüneburg Police Directorate said in a statement: ‘A police operation is currently taking place in Stade. Avoid the area widely!’

In a message on WhatsApp,Polizei Stade told residents to avoid the area and follow the instructions of emergency personnel.

Located in the lower regions of the River Elbe, Stade is home to around 50,000 inhabitants.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Mass shootings remain relatively rare occurrences in Germany.

In 2023, a gunman shot six people in Hamburg before killing himself at a Jehovah’s Witness hall.

An 18-year-old German-Iranian killed at least nine people in Munich after having an obsession with mass killings.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Never miss the biggest stories with breaking news alerts in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

This article was originally published by Metro ↗. citations.press indexes the source-backed facts above and links to the original. Something wrong? Corrections policy · Report an error