Six people have been killed in a shooting at a youth welfare centre in the northern German city of Stade, police said on Monday.
According to authorities, four women and one man were shot dead inside the facility, while a sixth victim later died from injuries sustained in the attack. All of the victims were adults.
Police said the suspected gunman has been arrested and two other individuals are also under investigation in connection with the incident.
The motive behind the shooting was not immediately clear.
In a statement, local police said that "homicides involving multiple victims occurred at a youth welfare facility" on Dankersstrasse in Stade.
Authorities cordoned off the area and deployed a large police presence to the scene, while urging residents to avoid the area.
A police spokesperson also confirmed that several people were injured in the attack, without providing further details on the number or severity of the injuries.
German media reported that the facility housed women and children.
Broadcasters ZDF and RTL cited a city spokesperson as saying that children at a nearby daycare centre were inside the building at the time of the shooting and were later collected by their parents.
Officials said there was no further threat to the public following the attack.
Stade, located in the state of Lower Saxony, lies about 30 kilometres west of Hamburg and has a population of around 50,000 people.
