Stade shooting: Five dead in Germany, major police operation underway
Five people were killed and several others injured in a shooting at a youth center in the city of Stade, northern Germany, on Monday, local authorities have said. Police said they had arrested the suspected gunman and another person, and there was no continued threat to the public.
They said the shooting took place at a youth welfare facility on Dankersstrasse, south of Stade's town center. The facility includes temporary accommodation for pregnant women and young mothers with children.
Investigators have not yet released details on the victims or the circumstances surrounding the attack, and a motive remains unclear. Authorities have said further information will be released as the investigation progresses.
City councillor Carsten Brokelmann said: "I would like to thank the police officers for their commitment in this confusing situation," Bild reported.
Vitali Mertens, who lives across the street from the scene, said he heard gunshots and “the whole area was cordoned off right away,” The Associated Press reported. He added that “the police sent me away.”
The shooting triggered a large-scale emergency operation, with police urging residents to avoid the area while first responders and forensic teams worked at the scene.
Stade, a town of about 50,000 residents is located roughly 25 miles west of Hamburg in the lower Saxony region.
Mass shooting are rare in Germany, which has far stricter gun laws and regulations than the United States.
Other high profile attacks to have taken place in recent years in Germany include a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in Hamburg in 2023 that left seven people, including an unborn baby, dead. The shooter, Philipp Fusz, was a former member of the congregation and held a weapons licence through membership of a shooting club. The killings sparked a national debate over gun laws and calls for stricter control.
Reporting at the time highlighted how, despite its strict gun laws, Germany has a high ownership ratio, with around a million legal owners. The majority of the owners are sports shooters, hunters or foresters, reported The Guardian.
Gun owners are required to obtain licenses, undergo background checks and demonstrate a legitimate reason for possessing a weapon, such as hunting. Authorities also maintain a national firearms register and closely regulate the acquisition and possession of firearms.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.