Five people were killed in a shooting at a youth welfare facility in the northern German town of Stade, police said on Monday.
Two people were arrested, including the suspected shooter.
There were also injuries, police said, but they did not give a figure.
Police said the shooting took place in the facility on Dankersstrasse, a street south of the town centre.
Two suspects were arrested, one of whom is believed to have fired the shots. Police said they were working to establish the background to the shooting and what exactly happened.
Germany’s gun laws are more restrictive than those in the United States and mass shootings are rare but not unheard of.
Stade has about 50,000 inhabitants and is located about 40 kilometeres from Hamburg.
Police said a major operation was underway in central Stade but said that there was no danger to the public.
As a precaution they advised members of the public to stay away from the crime scene while the investigation continues.
“We ask you to leave the area and give it a wide berth for your own safety,” they said in a post on X.
This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.
Additional sources • AP