Germany: At least 6 killed in shooting in Stade

A shooting in the northern German city of Stade left several people dead on Monday, according to local police.

Police initially reported a death toll of five adults, but later on Monday said it has risen to six. Five people died at the scene, while the sixth died in hospital due to injuries sustained during the shooting, police said in a statement.

What do we know about the Stade shooting?

Stade police said that two people were arrested, including the suspected shooter. There were no other suspects on the run, the Reuters news agency cited a police spokesperson as saying.

Several people were also injured in the incident, but police did not give an exact number.

"Shots were fired near a youth center in the city center," DPA quoted a police spokesperson as saying. The facility includes temporary accommodation for pregnant women or young mothers with children.

A police spokesperson told the AFP news agency the shooting was a likely "extended family tragedy."

"It does not appear to be a case of femicide or to have a political motive," the spokesperson said, adding that the motive instead appeared to be "rooted in the environment of the youth welfare center."

Daniela Behrens, the interior minister of Lower Saxony, the state where Stade is located, stressed the attack had no "political or economic motive." She described it as an "extremely cold-blooded act of violence."

What do we know about the shooting suspect, victims?

All those killed in the shooting incident were staff members at the youth center, Kathrin Schuol, chief constable of the Lüneburg Police Headquarters, said at a press conference on Monday.

They included four women and two men.

The suspect is a 45-year-old German.

Schuol said the motive was believed to be a child custody dispute.

The suspect was in a custody battle over his three-month-old daughter, police said.

The girl and her mother were in the office at the time of the shooting but were unharmed.

A spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office said during the press conference that no arrest warrant has been issued yet for the main suspect. The warrant would depend on the police's further investigations.

The suspected shooter was arrested as he fled in a car that was driven by a woman who was also arrested with him. Investigators' initial findings suggest the driver is a member of the suspected shooter's circle of acquaintances or family.

Where did the shooting take place?

City Councillor Carsten Brokelmann said the shootings took place near a day care center and a primary school.

"We are relieved that our staff and the children at the day care center and primary school are safe, and I would like to thank the police officers for their efforts in this chaotic situation," he said in an online statement. "At the same time, our deepest sympathies go out to the victims of this terrible act and their families."

Pictures from the scene of the shooting showed several emergency services personnel, ambulances and police cars.

Stade police earlier said in a statement shared on WhatsApp that a "major operation" was underway on Dankersstrasse, calling on citizens to steer clear of the area and follow the instructions of the emergency services on the scene.

But later on Monday, police said there was now "no danger to the public."

Stade has about 50,000 inhabitants and is located west of Hamburg.

Germany has very strict gun laws, among the strictest in Europe.

Mass shootings are relatively rare in the country, but they occur from time to time. 

The shooting on Monday was among the deadliest recently.

Police warns of inaccurate information regarding shooting

The police warned that unconfirmed information about the situation on the ground was being shared in chat groups and social media.

"The accounts [of events] currently circulating do not correspond to the facts as confirmed by the police," it wrote in a WhatsApp statement.

Police urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified reports, voice messages or rumors.

"This can cause uncertainty and hamper police operations," officials said.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru, Roshni Majumdar

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