BIn a shooting spree in a lecture hall at Heidelberg University, a man shot a young woman and injured three people. The German press agency learned from security circles that the young woman had died from her serious gunshot wounds a few hours after the crime. She was shot in the head. The lone perpetrator fired a gun in a lecture hall while the lecture was running on Monday afternoon, the police said.
The man, who is said to have been a student himself, then fled into the open. He is said to have had a backpack with other weapons, the dpa learned. Accordingly, he is said to have shot himself. So far, the police have only confirmed that the perpetrator is dead. He is said to have had no political or religious motives. The police initially gave no information on the identity of the injured person and the perpetrator.
Shortly after the act at noon, the police said: “We are not assuming that there are other perpetrators.” To be on the safe side, the site will continue to be searched. Around 3:15 p.m., the police confirmed that the man was a lone gunman. “Currently there is no longer any danger.”
The Neuenheimer Feld was cordoned off over a large area in the afternoon. The police asked motorists to drive around the site so that rescue workers could drive freely. The police set up a hotline for relatives. Dozens of police cars and ambulances were parked on the university campus. Experts examined a backpack, and a rifle could also be seen in the pictures. Young people stood together in front of the barriers.
Baden-Württemberg’s Science Minister Theresia Bauer (Greens) visited the crime scene in the afternoon and was shocked: “I’m horrified. It leaves you speechless when innocent young people have to experience something like this in university life. My thoughts are with those who have been hurt and affected. I sincerely wish recovery to come soon.”
The student body was also stunned. “We are incredibly shocked. This is a catastrophe that eludes everything conceivable between lectures, exams and university life,” said Chairman Peter Abelmann.