Six Deaths at Mother & Child Centre in Germany

Six people have been fatally shot at a centre for mothers and children in the northern city of Stade, near Hamburg, by a suspect embroiled in a custody dispute over his baby daughter.

The victims — four women and two men — were all staff members at the facility. Though a 3‑month‑old baby and her mother were present, they escaped unhurt. Police detained the gunman and two others, confirming there is no further threat to the public.

Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister described the act as “extremely cold‑blooded” and noted it had no political or economic motives. The shooting began around 12:10 local time, after an appointment with a large group of staff about custody arrangements.

The suspect, a 45‑year‑old Turkish national born in Germany and living in Hanover, had no firearms licence. He fled the scene in a car, which police later stopped near a country road, firing upon the vehicle to halt pursuit.

Stade, with a population of around 50,000, lies about 30 km west of Hamburg. Nearby day‑care and primary schools were evacuated, and children were afterward reunited with their parents.