Heidelberg: Student kills a woman in a rampage in the university
Created: 2022-01-24Updated: 2022-01-24, 10:20 p.m
Siegfried Kollmar, President of the Mannheim Police Headquarters, speaks at a press conference.
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
“Unsurpassed in tragedy”: In a lecture hall at the venerable university, an 18-year-old student opens fire during a lecture.
There is one fatality and injuries.
The shooter allegedly wanted to "punish people".
An 18-year-old student shot and killed a young woman and injured three other people in a rampage in a lecture hall at Heidelberg University.
The perpetrator stormed into the lecture hall with a shotgun while the lecture was running on Monday afternoon and shot around, the police said.
The German citizen, who lived in Mannheim, shot the young woman in the head, the dpa learned from security circles.
The 23-year-old succumbed to her injuries a few hours after the crime.
Politicians were appalled by the crime, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Berlin: "It tears my heart apart."
Schütze announced his action via Whatsapp
After the crime, the 18-year-old fled the university building and killed himself, the police said.
Shortly before the killing spree, he is said to have announced his crime.
He sent a Whatsapp message to "one person" and wrote "that people now have to be punished," said Siegfried Kollmar, police chief in Mannheim, in the evening.
What happened was “cannot be surpassed in terms of tragedy”.
According to initial findings, the perpetrator should not have had any political or religious motives, according to security circles.
One assumes more of a relationship act or psychological problems.
Investigators have not yet released any information about the motive.
It's still too early for that, said Andreas Herrgen, head of the Heidelberg public prosecutor's office.
He acquired weapons abroad - without a gun license
The biology student had two rifles with him, and the murder weapon was a shotgun.
According to current knowledge, he bought the weapons himself abroad a few days ago.
There are proofs of purchase.
It must now be clarified who is selling a gun to someone without a gun license.
In addition, the man is said to have had more than 100 rounds of ammunition in his backpack.
It is not yet known why he stopped shooting, said Kollmar.
That is speculative.
It cannot be ruled out that a specific person should be hit.
The 18-year-old could have reloaded.
The perpetrator was not yet known to the police
The young man has not yet been recorded by the police.
He also didn't have a driver's license.
"It's very unusual, this situation," said the chief of police.
Because there was a backpack with unknown contents with the young man's corpse, the police were not able to reach the dead man for a long time.
It could have been explosives, Kollmar explained.
The Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office therefore also sent defusers to examine the backpack.
It quickly became clear: the 18-year-old is a lone perpetrator
Shortly after the shots were fired at noon, the police said: "We are not assuming that there are other perpetrators." For safety reasons, however, the area will continue to be searched.
A special task force searched the labyrinthine area for a possible second perpetrator.
At around 3:15 p.m. the all-clear was given: the man was a lone perpetrator.
"Currently there is no longer any danger."
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The Neuenheimer Feld in front of the gates of Heidelberg's old town was cordoned off in the afternoon.
The police set up a hotline for relatives.
Dozens of police cars and ambulances were parked on the university campus.
Young people stood together in front of the barriers.
Shocked and deeply saddened: students and politicians
The student body was stunned.
"We are incredibly shocked.
This is a catastrophe that eludes everything conceivable between lectures, exams and university life," said Chairman Peter Abelmann.
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann was deeply concerned and promised that the crime would be clarified quickly.
“My thoughts are with the families and their loved ones.
We are by your side." Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) added: "For the injured and those involved, including those who were in the tutorial, I hope for a speedy recovery in body and soul." It was a "terribly stressful situation".
Science Minister Theresia Bauer (Greens) visited the crime scene in the afternoon and was shocked: "I'm horrified.
It leaves you speechless when innocent young people have to experience something like this in university life.”
Heidelberg's Lord Mayor Eckart Würzner (independent) expressed his condolences to the victims and their families.
"Not only were we stunned, we actually can't believe that something like this is happening here in Heidelberg."
Perceived attack on the openness of universities
The university is preparing a funeral service.
Rector Bernhard Eitel could not name any precise plans on Monday evening.
The university is also considering how the crime can be processed internally.
Throughout the day he received messages from scientists from all over Europe who were following what was happening in Heidelberg and who were offering help.
It is also felt to be an attack on the openness of the universities and the academic tradition.
dpa