Six Killed In Shooting At Youth Welfare Facility In Northern Germany

Authorities said all six victims were employees of the facility or affiliated organizations, and investigators are examining whether the attack was tied to a custody dispute.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Six adults were killed Monday in a shooting at a youth welfare facility in northern Germany, and the suspected shooter is in custody, according to local police.

The shooting occurred in Stade, a city of about 50,000 people located roughly 25 miles from Hamburg.

Five victims died at the scene, while a sixth died while being transported to a hospital, according to the Associated Press.

All six victims were employees of the welfare facility or organizations affiliated with it. Other people were injured, though authorities had not immediately released a confirmed number.

Investigators believe the shooting may have been connected to a custody dispute.

“The police are investigating the motive and the exact course of events under high pressure,” Daniela Behrens, interior minister for the Lower Saxony region, said at a news conference.

Behrens described the shooting as an extremely violent crime carried out in cold blood, “apparently in a custody dispute.”

Three people were taken into custody after the shooting, including the suspected gunman. The two others were subject to “police measures” on suspicion of involvement, the Associated Press reported.

Authorities continued investigating the motive, the timeline of events and whether others played a role in the attack.