An armed 21-year-old breaks into a school, students and teachers barricade themselves in classrooms. An employee is fatally injured with a crossbow. How did it happen?
One day after the act of violence at a high school in Bremerhaven, the background is still in the dark.
There are indications that the 21-year-old suspect has mental problems, said chief prosecutor Oliver Constien on Friday. “We’ll follow up on these tips.” The suspect himself makes use of his right to remain silent.
The seriously injured school worker remains in mortal danger, Constien said. The suspect is said to have shot her with a crossbow. Shortly after the attack, police arrested him near the scene of the crime. Police also seized a pistol and two knives. The suspect is accused of attempted murder, the district court in Bremerhaven issued an arrest warrant against the 21-year-old on Thursday evening. He has been in custody since then.
arrest without resistance
On Friday, the investigators were back in high school to be able to further reconstruct the course of events. “The investigations are now picking up speed again,” said a police spokeswoman. Investigators are assuming the crime was a lone culprit. They searched several objects on Thursday to find out more about the motive of the alleged violent criminal.
A video published by an eyewitness on social media shows the 21-year-old being arrested shortly after the crime near the school. The public prosecutor confirmed the authenticity of the recording. The alleged perpetrator can be seen on it, apparently sitting quietly at a busy intersection in front of a traffic light. A crossbow is lying next to him. When the police approached with blue lights flashing, he lay flat on the ground before the officers arrived. He is arrested without resistance.
On Friday, the police were in Bremerhaven with an increased presence to strengthen people’s need for security, as the police spokeswoman said. “We want to show people that we are there, that we can be approached,” she said. Police officers are also available for talks in all Bremerhaven schools. “It is important to clarify what the state of affairs is and to correct existing misinformation.”
