Germany: At least 5 killed in shooting in Stade

A shooting in the northern German city of Stade left several people dead on Monday, according to local police.

What do we know so far about the shooting?

Stade police said that two people were arrested, including the suspected shooter. There were no other suspects on the run, the Reuters news agency cited a police spokesperson as saying.

Several people were also injured in the shooting incident, but police did not give an exact number.

The motive is not yet clear.

“Shots were fired near a youth center in the city center,” DPA quoted a police spokesperson as saying. The facility includes temporary accommodation for pregnant women or young mothers with children.

Pictures from the scene of the shooting showed several emergency services personnel, ambulances and police cars.

Stade police said in a statement shared on WhatsApp that a "major operation" was underway on Dankersstraße, calling on citizens to steer clear of the area and follow the instructions of the emergency services on the scene.

But later on Monday, police said there was now "no danger to the public."

Stade has about 50,000 inhabitants and is located west of Hamburg.

Germany has very strict gun laws, among the strictest in Europe.

Mass shootings are relatively rare in the country, but they occur from time to time. 

The shooting on Monday was among the deadliest recently.

Police warns of inaccurate information regarding shooting

The police on Monday warned that unconfirmed information about the situation on the ground was being shared in chat groups and social media.

"The accounts [of events] currently circulating do not correspond to the facts as confirmed by the police," it wrote in a WhatsApp statement.

Police urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified reports, voice messages or rumors.

"This can cause uncertainty and hamper police operations," officials said.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru, Roshni Majumdar

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