(de-news.net) – Following a deadly shooting at a child welfare facility in Stade that claimed six lives, German officials have offered their sympathies. Although authorities are still looking into the incident, police say there is no continuing threat to the public. It is believed the attack was the result of a family-related custody dispute.
After six people were killed in a shooting at a youth welfare institution in Stade, Lower Saxony, Germany’s political leaders issued statements expressing their condolences and solidarity with those affected. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was profoundly shocked by the scale of violence committed in a place intended to provide safety and protection. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) extended his sympathies to the victims and their families, acknowledged the deep personal impact the incident had had on him, and praised the police for their swift response to the emergency.
Lower Saxony Minister-President Olaf Lies (SPD) likewise conveyed the state government’s profound sorrow while urging the public to avoid drawing premature conclusions and to allow investigators to conduct their work without speculation or unnecessary conjecture.
Assumed family-related dispute
According to police, the shooting is believed to have stemmed from a family-related conflict. Five adults died at the scene, while a sixth victim later succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack after being transported to a hospital. Several additional individuals were seriously injured. Authorities stated that the facility housed mother-and-child residential units and identified the deceased as four women and two men employed by the youth welfare institution and the local youth services office.
Investigators from the Lüneburg Police Headquarters arrested the suspected gunman, who was identified as a 45-year-old man. According to the authorities, the presumed motive was a child custody dispute involving a three-month-old infant. Officials added that neither the infant nor the child’s mother had been injured during the incident.
The crime scene remains under an extensive police cordon, with a substantial security presence continuing to secure the area. Authorities emphasized that there is currently no threat to the wider public while investigators proceed with intensive efforts to establish the circumstances and underlying background of the attack.
Audio: TTSFree
