Europe News

Several wounded in shooting in German city; gunman dead

Key Points
  • The shooting took place at a lecture hall in the Southwest German city of Heidelberg.
  • Police have asked people to avoid the area where the shooting occurred.
  • A German news agency cited unidentified security sources as saying that the gunman killed himself.
Police vehicles are parked on the grounds of Heidelberg University in Heidelberg, Germany, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.
R.Priebe | AP

A lone gunman wounded several people at a lecture theater in the southwestern German city of Heidelberg on Monday, police said.

Police said in a brief statement that the perpetrator was dead, but didn't give details of how that happened. They had earlier asked people on Twitter to avoid the Neuenheimer Feld area of Heidelberg, where the city's university campus is located.

Police didn't specify how many people were wounded, or how seriously, and there was no information on their identities or that of the suspected shooter. The university's press office declined to give any details on the shooting and referred all inquiries to police.

German news agency dpa cited unidentified security sources as saying that the gunman killed himself.

Police said the weapon used in the shooting was a long-barreled firearm.

Heidelberg is located south of Frankfurt and has about 160,000 inhabitants. Its university is one of Germany's best-known.