In brief
In the early afternoon of Monday, a 45‑year‑old Turkish‑German man who was attending a meeting regarding custody of his daughter opened fire inside a women‑and‑children centre in the northern German town of Stade, killing six staff and injuring several others. Police were called within minutes, drove a pursuit vehicle through the scene and detained the suspect, who had no firearms licence. Official statements described the act as a "cold‑blooded" family‑related violence, with no political or economic motives. The incident prompted a large police presence in the area and raised concerns about the safety of community health facilities.
Six people were fatally shot at a centre for mothers and children in Stade, a town 30 km west of Hamburg, when a 45‑year‑old Turkish‑German man opened fire during a meeting about the custody of his three‑month‑old daughter.
The victims – four women and two men – were all staff at the facility. Another six people were wounded, but the baby and her mother, who were in the office, escaped unharmed.
Three individuals, including the suspect, were detained, and police said there was no further threat to the public.
Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens called the shooting a "cold‑blooded" act of violence with no political or economic motive.
Police received the first calls around 12:10 local time (10:10 GMT) and confirmed a “homicide involving multiple victims” on a nearby country road after stopping a Mercedes with a blown‑out tyre. Officers fired repeatedly at the vehicle and detained the occupants.
The suspect was known to police for prior threats but was not considered particularly violent. He had no firearms licence and was scheduled to meet with many of the victims at the centre to discuss custody of his daughter.
Emergency services and a crisis intervention team were on the street, and children who were at a nearby daycare and primary school were collected by their parents after the incident.
Stade, with a population of ~50,000, sits in Lower Saxony’s northern region, close to the German coast and the Baltic Sea.
