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German Teenager Kills Student In School Shooting After Similar Incidents

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

BERLIN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – German police have detained a 15-year-old armed boy after he allegedly shot and killed another 15-year-old student at a special education school in the southwestern town of Offenburg, officials said.

Thursday midday shooting came after back-to-back violent incidents at schools in Hamburg, which put Germany’s second-largest city on edge.

Police say initial investigations revealed a previous relationship between him and the boy who died.

The attack began after the teenager entered a ninth-grade classroom and fired at least one shot from a handgun at the classmate, according to investigators.

Police and prosecutors believe the suspect acted alone in Thursday’s shooting, which led to a massive police operation.

The suspect was remanded in custody in prison on suspicion of manslaughter.

Around 180 students initially had to stay in their classrooms at the Waldbachschule but were later able to leave. All of them were offered counselling by psychologists, officials said.

INTERRUPTING LIFE

The shooting interrupted life in Offenburg, a transport and economic hub in the region, with a population of about 62,000.

The German border town is near the French city of Strasbourg, which often co-hosts the European Parliament after Brussels.

School shootings are rare in Germany. But Thursday’s attack came a day after two incidents at schools in the northern port city of Hamburg. On Wednesday afternoon, two boys had threatened a teacher inthe Blankenese neighborhood with what walikely a toy gun, according to authorities.

The threats prompted a large-scale police operation involving helicopters, roadblocks, and hundreds of officers. The all-clear was only given after four hours, sources familiar with the situation said. At almost the same time, police were alerted to an incident at another school a few kilometers away where a teacher was threatened, police said.

Details remained sketchy, but five boys between the ages of 11 and 14 were detained, and at least three toy guns were seized, German media reported.

Much remained unclear about the cases in Hamburg, including why the children threatened the teachers and what connection there may be between the incidents.

Yet it came at a time when Germany is also on edge for possible violence related to the Israel-Hamas war, with officials raising concerns about rising antisemitism.