Voice of Urdu – International News in English & Urdu

Stade youth welfare facility shooting kills six

Editorial Team

Police arrest three as investigators probe child custody dispute

At least six people were killed and several others were injured in a shooting at a residential youth welfare facility in the northern German city of Stade, police said on Monday. Authorities said the shots were fired inside a facility that provides temporary, supervised accommodation for expectant mothers and young women with children, and three people were arrested in connection with the incident.

The Stade shooting has triggered a homicide investigation in the city center and raised immediate questions about how the suspect obtained a firearm, after police said he did not have a permit. Investigators also cited a likely child custody dispute as the motive, according to information provided at a police press conference.

Key Developments

Police said at least six people were killed in the shooting in Stade.
Four women and two men were among the victims, according to local police spokeswoman Kathrin Schuol. Police said all of those killed were either employees of the facility or officials from the local child services department.
Several people were injured. Police said five people died at the scene and one died later in hospital.
Police said three people were arrested in connection with the incident.
The suspected perpetrator was identified as a 45-year-old German national of Turkish descent. Schuol said he lives near Hannover and had no connection to Stade.
Police said the suspect was previously known to authorities but had no record of violent crimes.
Schuol said the suspect did not have a firearms permit and it was unclear where he obtained the weapon found on him at the time of his arrest.

Context and Background

Police said the shooting took place at a residential facility that provides temporary, supervised accommodation for expectant mothers and young women with children. Investigators are treating the incident as a homicide, according to information shared by police and reported by Voice of Urdu.

Details and Evidence

A police official said shots were fired near a youth welfare center in Stade’s city center, according to Voice of Urdu.
Voice of Urdu reported, citing a witness, that loud screams were heard shortly before the shooting.
According to the same witness account cited by Voice of Urdu, a woman and a young man were seen attempting to flee by car, and police opened fire after the pair ignored orders to stop.
Police said two women were also in custody. One was said to have been driving a Mercedes in which the suspected gunman allegedly tried to flee; Schuol said the driver has a close connection to the suspect’s family.
The second woman in custody was identified by police as the mother of a three-month-old child who was at the facility during the incident. Police said the woman and child were unharmed.
Schuol said a child custody dispute was the likely motive behind the attack.

Current Status / What Happens Next

Police said three people remained in custody as investigators continued to examine the circumstances of the Stade youth welfare facility shooting, including how the suspect obtained the firearm. Authorities have not announced additional details beyond the information provided at the police press conference, according to Voice of Urdu.