A 45-year-old German citizen of Turkish descent opened fire at a youth welfare facility in Stade, Germany, on Monday, June 29, 2026, killing six people during a custody dispute over his three-month-old daughter. Police arrested the suspect within minutes after he fled the scene by car and officers shot out one of his tires on a nearby highway. The attack unfolded at a mother-child welfare center on Dankersstrasse, a street south of the town’s center, when the suspect arrived for a scheduled meeting with staff about his daughter’s custody.
What Happened
The shooting took place at a mother-child welfare facility on Dankersstrasse, south of the town center. The building houses temporary accommodation for pregnant women and young mothers with children.
Five people died at the scene. A sixth victim died later at a hospital. All six were adults, four women and two men, and all worked at the facility. Several others were wounded, some seriously.
Police arrived around 12:10 p.m. Two people fled by car. Officers caught them on highway B73 outside the city limits after shooting out one of the tires.
Who Police Are Holding
The suspect is a 45-year-old German citizen of Turkish descent from the Hanover region. He had a prior criminal record for making threats and did not hold a firearm license, police said.
A woman, age 55 to 65 and described as closely tied to the suspect’s family, drove the getaway car and was taken into custody. The suspect’s 34-year-old wife was also detained for questioning. Their three-month-old daughter had been placed in the custody of the youth welfare office.
“He had an appointment at the youth welfare facility with various staff members regarding custody of his three-month-old daughter,” police said in a statement.
Investigators have ruled out organized crime, political extremism and femicide. Lüneburg police president Kathrin Schuol called the shooting a family-related tragedy connected to the welfare facility.
The Town Reacts
Local councillor Carsten Brokelmann said a daycare and a primary school sit near the facility.
“We are relieved that our staff and the children in the daycare center and elementary school are all safe and well, and I would like to thank the police officers for their service in this chaotic situation,” Brokelmann said in a statement. “At the same time, our deepest sympathies go out to the victims of this terrible act and their families.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz both sent condolences to the victims’ families.
Police have warned the public not to spread unverified information online, saying it could hinder the investigation. Mass shootings remain rare in Germany, where gun laws are far stricter than in the United States.
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