Six people were killed in a shooting at a youth welfare facility in Stade, Lower Saxony, on Monday, with dramatic video from the scene showing the aftermath of the shooting. The 45-year-old suspect reportedly has German and Turkish citizenship, and both his parents were born in Turkey.

Five victims died at the scene, and a sixth later succumbed to serious injuries in hospital that evening. Although initial reports indicated that there were injured victims, police report that there are no injured parties and everyone who was shot was also killed. According to police, the background to the attack was the man’s custody battle over his three-month-old baby. A custody appointment had been scheduled for the same day of the shooting, Monday.

🇩🇪🔴BREAKING: The perpetrator who shot and killed 6 people was born in Germany but has Turkish roots.

Police say the motive was a custody battle over his baby.

All the deceased were employees of the Youth Welfare Office in Stade. According to NDR, the father is said to be from… pic.twitter.com/HE40NhPFJM

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 29, 2026

So far, all the people killed in the incident were employees of the youth welfare office at Dankersstraße, which included four women and two men. The facility was designed to offer women and their children safety and protection. All news reports indicate that the mother and the child remained unharmed during the mass shooting.

The suspect was known to the police but not as a violent offender, but according to permit information, he was not legally in possession of a gun. Investigators are working to understand how he gained access to a firearm.

Massacre in Germany: 5 dead in shooting at mother-child youth welfare facility in Stade

According to NDR and WDR news outlets, the alleged perpetrator belongs to the large Miri clan from Hanover, which is known for criminal activities.

Since the man was born in Germany and has German citizenship, these six murders will likely be recorded as “German” crimes in the crime statistics.

An eyewitness told Focus Online that a woman and a young man had allegedly tried to flee the scene by car. A police officer shouted: “Stop, stand still.” When the car kept moving, several officers opened fire, with at least 10 to 15 shots fired.

Two other women were taken in for police questioning, one of them the child’s 34-year-old mother. The 65-year-old driver of the car was also still being questioned.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the shooting on X: “The news from Stade shakes us to the core. Many people who wanted to help and protect have lost their lives or been injured. My compassion goes out to the victims and their loved ones. I thank the police officers for their swift response.”

Die Nachricht aus Stade erschüttert bis ins Mark. Viele Menschen, die helfen und schützen wollten, haben ihr Leben verloren oder wurden verletzt. Mein Mitgefühl gilt den Opfern und ihren Angehörigen. Ich danke den Polizisten und Polizistinnen für ihren schnellen Einsatz.

— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) June 29, 2026