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Five dead in shooting at youth welfare centre in northern Germany

Henry Moore
AFP via Getty Images Crowds of emergency workers stand in the road following a shooting in Stade, northern Germany. AFP via Getty Images
Emergency personnel pictured near the scene in the northern city of Stade

Five people are dead following a shooting at a "youth welfare centre" in Stade, northern Germany, police have said.

Two people have been arrested, one of whom is a suspect, a police spokesperson told the BBC.

They have not provided information on the age of the victims nor the possible motive of the perpetrator.

A number of people were also injured in the shooting just west of Hamburg. Police said there was no further threat to the public.

"Homicides involving multiple victims occurred at a youth welfare facility" in the city, local police said in a statement.

"Five people were fatally injured and additional individuals sustained injuries."

Police urged the public to avoid the area.

Large numbers of emergency personnel were deployed to the scene.

The city, located about 30km (19 miles) west of Hamburg, has a population of around 50,000 people.

Map of northern Germany highlighting the location of Stade relative to major cities. A red dot and label mark Stade to the west of Hamburg, which is shown with a black dot near the centre of the map. Berlin is labelled in the southeast. Surrounding countries and coastal outlines are faintly visible, with light grey roads and terrain details. An inset map in the top left shows Germany’s outline with the highlighted northern region. A scale in the bottom left indicates approximately 50 km/50 miles, and a small BBC logo appears in the bottom right.

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