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"The police are investigating the motive and the exact course of
events under high pressure," Daniela Behrens, interior minister
for the Lower Saxony region, told a news conference, adding that
it was an extremely violent crime in cold blood, “apparently in
a custody dispute.”
Police said several people were wounded, some of them seriously,
German news agency dpa reported, but they did not give a
specific figure or information on the victims’ identity.
Police said the shooting took place in the facility on
Dankersstrasse, a street south of the town center. The facility
includes temporary accommodation for pregnant women or young
mothers with children.
A main suspect was arrested, while another two people were
subject to “police measures” on suspicion of involvement, police
said in a statement. They didn't elaborate.
Video footage after the shooting showed a large police presence,
along with other emergency service personnel and several
ambulances on a residential street.
Germany’s gun laws are more restrictive than those in the United
States, and mass shootings are rare but not unheard of.
Vitali Mertens, who lives across the street from the scene, said
he heard gunshots and “the whole area was cordoned off right
away.”
Stade has about 50,000 inhabitants and is located about 40
kilometers (25 miles) from Hamburg.
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