Six people died in a shooting Monday at a youth welfare facility in Stade, northern Germany, police said. A suspect is in custody while investigators examine a possible custody dispute.
Five victims, four women and one man, were killed at the scene on Dankersstrasse. A sixth adult died later in hospital. Several others were wounded, some seriously.
The facility provides temporary accommodation for pregnant women and young mothers with children. Police said there is no ongoing danger to the public.
Interior minister Daniela Behrens told reporters the attack appeared to be an extremely violent crime in cold blood. She said investigators are working under high pressure to establish the motive and exact sequence of events.
Germany maintains strict gun laws and such incidents remain rare. Stade is a town of about 50,000 people located roughly 25 miles west of Hamburg.
