A woman and a man were killed in a violent incident at a school near Berlin on Thursday, with a man having been taken into custody, police said.
“Two people were injured here on the scene and subsequently died from their injuries, despite receiving immediate medical attention,” a police spokesman said.
The suspect is a 19-year-old German man, the police said. Investigators said they did not think there was any further danger at the school in the small community of Gosen-Neu Zittau on the south-eastern edge of the German capital.
Initial indications suggest the attack may have been related to a personal relationship. No further details about the victims or the suspect were immediately available.
Local broadcaster RBB reported one victim was an 18-year-old female pupil but police have not confirmed this. Reports said the suspect was a former boyfriend though these were unconfirmed.
The man was said to be the school caretaker though this has also not yet been confirmed.
The first emergency calls were received by the police at around 1:45 pm (1145 GMT), a police spokesman said. “Based on the information available so far, investigators do not believe this was a mass shooting but rather a crime of passion,” the police explained.
State, school shocked
Hours after the incident, police were leading pupils and parents out of the school playground, with some in tears.
Emergency counsellors were at the scene to provide support to pupils, teaching staff and relatives.
Some were still in the sports hall late in the afternoon; they were provided with drinks and later collected by their parents. A police spokesman said some pupils might still be interviewed.
In the evening, around 100 children and adults gathered in the evening with flowers and candles for a memorial service. Most of the attendees still looked shocked and people wept. Some laid down soft toys, others embraced.
The attack occurred on the campus of a privately run school surrounded by woodland and lakes on the outskirts of Gosen-Neu Zittau, a small town of around 3,500 residents in eastern Brandenburg, on the border with Berlin.
The Docemus campus houses a grammar school, a secondary school and a technical college, at a site designed to promote shared learning and emphasizes flexibility between the different kinds of school.
State lawmakers express horror
The police were initially cautious and sparing with specific information and details regarding the age of the victim, the murder weapon and the motive and many questions remain unanswered.
The police have called on the public to come forward with any information regarding the incident.
Lawmakers expressed their horror. State premier Dietmar Woidke expressed his sympathy to the victims’ relatives and friends. “Two people have lost their lives in a horrific attack. This crime has shaken our entire state.”
Berlin’s Senator for Education, Katharina Günther-Wünsch, also expressed her horror. “For children and young people, a school is a place of learning, community and trust – a place where they should feel safe and secure. The fact that this place has become the scene of a violent act deeply disturbs me.”
Looking ahead, the Brandenburg State Parents’ Council said it expected measures to be examined to ensure safety in schools. “Parents must be able to send their children to school in the morning without fear and without feeling guilty.”
ILLUSTRATION – German Police patrol car parked in front of the Federal Constitutional Court. (is associated with: «Two dead in violent incident at school near Berlin, suspect detained») Uli Deck/dpa