Bremerhaven: 21-year-old shoots at school with crossbow – wounded in mortal danger

Status: 05/19/2022 | Reading time: 4 minutes

JAt about 1:30 p.m., the terror of nearly 200 students and teachers from Bremerhaven High School at the Bremerhaven Lloyd-Gymnasium finally ended. After about four hours of staying in closed classes, they can finally leave school on Thursday afternoon. Some laugh, others have teary eyes. “I was terrified so far,” says a 16-year-old. Only now, free again, feels comfortable.

It was around 9.15 am when a man broke into the school building in Lehi District with a gun and seriously injured a staff member. A police spokeswoman said the woman was taken to hospital. Maybe she was a school employee.

After the incident, the school’s emergency plan was activated. Students and teachers closed themselves in the classroom, where they stayed until the police gave everything.

The suspect has remained silent until now

The 21-year-old suspect has been arrested. Shoot the crossbow. In the evening, chief prosecutor Oliver Konstein said the murder weapon had been found when he was arrested.

On Thursday evening, Bremerhaven County Court issued an arrest warrant for the urgent suspect. An investigation is underway and the police are asking for any footage that was taken. In addition to the crossbow, investigators confiscated a pistol and knives. She added that the man remained silent about this fact until now.

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Investigators said at a news conference in the afternoon that they were notified by phone in the morning and that troops were dispatched immediately. The 21-year-old suspect was arrested without resistance. There are initial indications that he has mental problems.

A video circulated on social media by a mobile phone showed a man lying on his stomach at a crossroads with his hands clasped behind his back. Shortly thereafter, police cars appeared and officers arrested the man. It was said during the press conference that the injured worker at the school was still life-threatening.

“It was a shock to me”

Michael Frost, Principal of Bremerhaven (independent), said there were high school exams on Thursday, so the school was relatively empty. Typically more than 500 students go to the secondary school branch of the Lloyd-Gymnasium, and according to “Nordsee-Zeitung” there were probably only 200 on site that day.

A 16-year-old student in the 10th grade spoke about the accident. He just had art when the school’s firing code was repeated over the loudspeakers. “It was a shock to me,” said the student. The teacher closed the door. At first she started crying, then some of her classmates. Everyone was lying on the ground. “I sat under the table for two hours,” said the student.

The Supreme Education Council inspects the school building

Meanwhile, police special forces searched the building to make sure there was no further danger. Bremerhaven City Council has set up a hotline for parents of students. The school grounds were cordoned off over a large area after the crime. In addition to the police, firefighters and rescue services, school chaplains and psychologists were also on site to welcome students and teachers.

Many parents were waiting for their children in a small garden in front of the school. Hagen Roessler discovered the crime from a colleague. “I panicked right away,” he said. When he saw the police car, his knees weakened. Eventually he was able to reach his son over the phone. “He told me they were fine. He seemed calm and relaxed,” said the father.

“This is the worst possible event that could happen,” said debt official Frost. “Something like this is possible everywhere, and that has been confirmed today.” But the school was well prepared for such a situation. “If there’s any good news today, it’s this,” Frost said.

Students are free to come to school on Fridays. “There will be no lessons. But we do provide speaking opportunities, including for parents,” Frost said.