Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Several people have been left injured, and one dead, after a gun attack at Heidelberg University on Monday afternoon. According to the police, a lone perpetrator shot several people in a lecture theatre. He was later found dead.
According to reports circulating in the German media, a man entered a university lecture theatre in Neuenheimer Feld where a class was taking place at around 12.35pm on Monday. Police said he shot "four people" in the lecture hall with a gun, in some cases seriously injuring them. Later on Monday, Bild reported that one young woman had succumbed to her injuries.
The perpetrator initially fled, initiating a man hunt, but was found dead shortly afterwards. It seems that he committed suicide. According to the dpa, the attacker is said to have been a student at the university, but appears to have had no political or religious motives. This has not yet been confirmed by the police, and no other information has emerged about the attacker’s identity, his possible motive, or whether his victims were chosen at random.
The police said in a statement, “We are not assuming that there will be other perpetrators,” but that to be on the safe side the site would continue to be searched. Police are maintaining a strong presence on the site for the time being, and have asked members of the public to avoid the area to allow the emergency services to carry out their work.
The Neuenheimer Feld area, close to the old town in Heidelberg, was cordoned off. According to SWR, people studying at the university were asked to avoid the area.