Six people were killed Friday and another two were wounded in a shooting at a small inn in southern Germany, according to police and multiple news reports.
Initial accounts said a lone gunman apparently opened fire on family members.
The German newspaper Bild reported that the shooting happened at an inn known as the "German Emperor."
Police said four of the dead were found outside the building, and another two bodies were discovered in a bar and restaurant inside the establishment.
A 26-year-old man was taken into custody shortly after the shooting began, according to news reports.
The attack was not believed to be related to terrorism.
Police said the deceased victims were three men and three women ranging in age from 36 to 69. None of them have been identified but police said the suspect’s mother and father had been killed in the attack, The Associated Press reported.
The two injured victims were said to be relatives.
One of them was in critical condition at a local hospital, according to reports.
Two children ages 12 and 14 were also threatened by the gunman but were unharmed, reports said.
The incident happened about midday in the town of Rot am See, near Aalen in Baden-Württemberg, about 105 miles northwest of Munich.
Several media reports said the suspect and the victims knew each other.
The British tabloid The Mirror reported the shooter “opened fire on members of his own family.”
Police officials also said the shooting may be linked to a “personal relationship”and that only one shooter was believed to be involved.
Regional police chief Reiner Moeller said during a news conference that a suspect called the station sying he had killed several people. The suspect was still on the line as officers arrived at the inn, Moeller said.
Credit: Sebastian Gollnow
Credit: Sebastian Gollnow
Photos from the scene show crime scene investigators arriving at the site dressed in full-body scrubs, and disposable gloves and shoe covers.
A spokesman with the Aalen Police force gave an update to local media as the scene was being processed.
“According to my information, there were six dead and several injured,” Aalen police spokesman Rudolf Biehlmaier said to German broadcaster n-tv. “We are working on the assumption that this was a single attacker,” he said.
— This is a developing story. Please return to AJC.com for updates.
About the Author
