Turkish Citizen Gunman Kills Six at Youth Welfare Facility in Stade, Germany

A shooting at a youth welfare facility in the northern German city of Stade left six people dead, with police saying five died at the scene and a sixth died in hospital.

CNN reported that the alleged perpetrator was a 45-year-old male Turkish citizen who was born in Germany and was arrested shortly after the shooting occurred.

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Police said the victims were employees of the facility, not residents, and that the suspect had an appointment at the youth welfare facility with various staff members regarding custody of his three-month-old daughter.

The incident took place in the facility on Dankersstrasse, a street south of the town center, and police told residents to avoid the area before later saying there was no danger to the public.

In a statement, police said, “The area has been cleared and there is no ongoing threat to the public,” as the investigation into the circumstances of the shooting continued.

Police and officials framed the attack as connected to a custody dispute, with CNN reporting that authorities believed the suspect’s motive could be related to his family.

In a police statement, authorities said, “He had an appointment at the youth welfare facility with various staff members regarding custody of his three-month-old daughter,” and CNN added that the suspect’s daughter and her 34-year-old mother were present at the time of the shooting.

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DW quoted a police spokesperson saying the shooting was a likely “extended family tragedy,” while AFP cited by DW said it did not appear to be a case of femicide or to have a political motive.

German interior minister Daniela Behrens, cited by DW, stressed the attack had no “political or economic motive,” and described it as an “extremely cold-blooded act of violence.”

Local councillor Carsten Brokelmann said the city operates a daycare facility and a primary school in the immediate vicinity, adding, “We are relieved that our staff and the children in the daycare center and elementary school are all safe and well.”

Police detained three people, including the suspected shooter, and said all the fatalities were adults, while authorities continued investigating the motive and exact course of events.

CBC said police called the incident a homicide with multiple victims in the town of Stade near the port city of Hamburg, and it reported that police had warned people to stay away from the area before later saying there was no danger to the general public.

DW reported that police initially reported a death toll of five adults and later said it had risen to six, and it said police did not give an exact number for the injured.

El País reported that Daniela Behrens said the shooting appeared to be “an incredibly ruthless act with no political or economic motive,” and it added that the perpetrator did not have a firearms permit.

As evidence collection continued, police said the accounts circulating online did not correspond to the facts as confirmed by the police, warning that unverified information could “cause uncertainty and hamper police operations.”