Six employees were killed in an armed attack on a youth care center in the city of Stade, in the German state of Lower Saxony.
Police have launched an investigation and say the primary motive behind the deadly incident appears to be a family dispute and a serious conflict over custody of a three-month-old baby.
Authorities identified the suspect as a 45-year-old man who was born in Germany. According to available information, a special court hearing regarding custody of his three-month-old daughter had been scheduled for the same day as the attack.
All six victims were employees of the care center, consisting of four women and two men. No refugees or residents of the facility were among those killed. The baby’s mother and the three-month-old infant, who had been staying at the center, escaped unharmed and are currently in a secure location. Police are also interviewing the mother to establish the full circumstances of the case.
The facility where the attack occurred is a specialized center that provides care and support for families and young people and is operated by the local government of the Hanover region. Both the suspect and the child’s mother are from the same area. Although the suspect had a prior police record and was known to authorities, he had not previously been considered particularly violent, and there had been no indication of behavior suggesting this level of danger.
The source of the weapon used in the attack remains unknown. Police have confirmed that the suspect did not have a license to possess a firearm. Given the sensitivity of the case and the ongoing investigation, Kathrin Schöwel, head of the Lüneburg Police Directorate, urged the public and the media to respect the emotional well-being of the victims’ families and loved ones and to avoid spreading false or unverified information.
Karzan Haidar