What Happened?
According to The Guardian, a gunman was reportedly carrying a rifle and a double-barreled shotgun as he entered a university hall at 12:25 p.m. during a lecture and opened fire. The suspect fired three shots into the class of 30 students before fleeing the building and shooting himself. His body was found at 12:51 p.m., but his identity has not yet been revealed.
Four people were injured during the attack: three young German women, aged 19, 21 and 23, as well as a 20-year-old German-Italian citizen.
The Washington Post reported that the shooter, who reportedly used a “long gun,” is dead. Police believe that he killed himself.
In Context
According to AP News, Heidelburg is a city with about 160,000 inhabitants located south of Frankfurt. Heidelburg University is one of the most well-known in Germany.
BBC News stated that Germany has strict gun laws, requiring anyone under 25 to pass a psychological test to obtain a gun license. Due to this, school shootings in the country are a rarity.
According to The Guardian, neither the gunman nor his family members possessed gun licenses.
The Latest
According to AP News, one of the injured women died hours after being shot in the head. The woman was identified as a 23-year-old German.
AP News reported that the shooter was an 18-year-old biology student. He was a German citizen with no previous criminal record. Officers found the suspect’s body outside with 100 rounds of ammunition and two firearms from abroad.
BBC stated that a police search of the suspect’s home in Mannheim found a text message he sent before the shooting where he spoke of punishing people.
German news outlets reported that investigators have not attributed religious or political motives to the attacks.
AP News also reported that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was heartbroken to hear the news, and expressed his condolences to the friends and family of the slain student.
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