A shooting during a child custody dispute at a mother and child support centre in Stade, Lower Saxony, Germany, left six employees dead, while several others were injured. Police have detained three people, including the main suspect, and the investigation is ongoing.
According to police, all six victims were employees of the centre, including four women and two men. The three-month-old girl at the centre of the custody dispute and her mother were present at the time of the incident but were not physically harmed.
Police said they received reports of gunfire at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time on Monday at the youth welfare and family support centre on Dankerstrasse in Stade. Police officers and emergency responders were deployed to the scene.
Investigators said four women and one man died at the scene, while another seriously injured victim later died in hospital. All of the deceased were adult employees of the centre.
Lower Saxony Police identified the main suspect as a 45-year-old German citizen of Turkish origin who was born in Germany and lives in Hanover. He had reportedly arrived at the centre to discuss the custody of his three-month-old daughter.
Authorities said a meeting had been scheduled with several employees of the centre before the suspect opened fire inside the facility.
The three-month-old child and her mother, who were present in the office during the incident, were not injured, police confirmed.
Authorities said the employees of the centre were the targets of the attack, while the child and her mother remained safe.
Following the shooting, the suspect fled the scene in a car driven by a woman. Police immediately launched a search operation and established a security perimeter.
Officers later stopped the vehicle on a nearby road. Videos circulated by media outlets showed armed police officers intercepting the vehicle and detaining its occupants.
Police have taken three people into custody, including the main suspect. Authorities said there is currently no additional threat to the public.
Lüneburg Police Chief Kathrin Schül said the suspect had previously come to the attention of police in connection with alleged threats. However, he had not been classified as an extremely violent individual.
Investigators also said the suspect did not possess a valid firearms licence. Police are investigating how he obtained the weapon used in the attack.
Lower Saxony Interior Minister Daniela Behrens said preliminary findings indicate the shooting was connected entirely to family-related reasons.
She said the incident was a deliberate act of violence and that investigators had found no indication of a political, religious or economic motive.
According to the minister, the available evidence currently points only to the family dispute over custody of the infant.
The shooting caused disruption at nearby day-care centres and primary schools. Children were moved to secure locations as a precaution.
Authorities later reunited children with their parents after the situation was brought under control. The surrounding area was temporarily sealed off to facilitate the investigation.
Large numbers of police officers, forensic specialists and emergency medical personnel remained deployed at the scene following the attack.
Forensic teams collected evidence from the site while investigators questioned the suspect to determine when and how the attack was planned and whether anyone else assisted.
Police have registered the case under charges including murder, attempted murder and the illegal use of a firearm. Investigators are examining the suspect's background, the family dispute, his mental condition and the origin of the weapon used.
Authorities said all aspects of the case remain under investigation and that further details may emerge following continued questioning and forensic examination.
