Two men in their 40s have been killed in a shooting at a Mercedes factory near Stuttgart on Thursday morning, police have announced.

German man kills two in Mercedes factory shooting

German police have announced that two men in their 40s have died after a 53-year-old man opened fire in a Mercedes production factory hall in Sindelfingen. The incident happened at 7.45am on Thursday morning.

The man, who is thought to be an external employee of a logistics company, was quickly detained by security staff and then arrested by police. The two 44-year-old victims died from their injuries shortly after.

Mercedes factory attack motive still unclear

Police and emergency services evacuated the Sindelfingen factory with two helicopters in tow and determined there to be no further danger to the public.

"Due to the ongoing nature of the police investigation, no further details can be given," a police spokesperson said, explaining that a motive is still under investigation.

Though it is still unclear how the perpetrator got hold of his weapon and whether it was legally owned, gun laws in Germany are relatively strict and in order to own a firearm you need to have a possession card (Waffenbesitzkarte).

Thumb image credit: Magnus Binnerstam / Shutterstock.com