School Dead Shooting in Winnenden
Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, said it was a “day of mourning for the whole of Germany” [EPA]
A teenage former student has killed at least 15 people in a shooting rampage at a school in southwest Germany before turning the gun on himself.
Tim Kretschmer opened fire at the Albertville high school in the small market town of Winnenden, killing nine students and three teachers before stealing a car and fleeing the scene.
The 17-year-old attacker later took his own life after a shootout with police in the town of Wendlingen, near Stuttgart.
There was no immediate indication of motive, but the victims were mostly female: eight of nine students killed were girls, and all three
teachers were women.
Three men were killed later as the suspect fled.
In video
Germany in shock after deadly shooting spree
Dressed in black combats, Kretschmer had entered the school at about 9:30am [08:30 GMT] and opened fire, killing nine students aged between 14 and 15, and three teachers.
A passer-by died after the teenager stole the car, and two passers-by died in the final shootout between Kretschmer and the police.
Erwin Hetger, a regional police chief, said: “He went into the school with a weapon and carried out a bloodbath. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”
‘Appalling crime’
Konrad Gelden, a local police chief said the teenager was “constantly reloading his weapon”.
A local police chief said the shooter was “constantly reloading his weapon” [Reuters]
Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, said: “It is unimaginable that in just seconds, pupils and teachers were killed, it is an appalling crime. This is a day of mourning for the whole of Germany.”
Mark Seddon, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Winnenden, said: “There are many grieving parents. It’s a very, very sad scene.
“He [Kretschmer] was a loner, he didn’t graduate. He had an interest in the occult and his father was a member of a gun club. They had 16 guns in the house.
“He left no message and so far there appears to be no motive.
“People are full of praise for the swift reaction of the police… the death toll could have been higher. The police found other munitions in the grounds so this was clearly planned.” Read more »





