BERLIN (AP) — German police said Thursday evening that a student with a handgun is suspected of having killed another student at a high school in the country's southwest, German news agency dpa reported.
The suspect, a teenager, was detained as part of a large-scale police operation earlier in the day in the town of Offenburg.
He had allegedly entered a classroom at the high school for children with special needs, and fired at least one shot from a handgun at a classmate, police said.
The other student was first treated by emergency services and then taken to a hospital where he later died of his injuries, dpa reported.
“The police are on site with strong forces,” local authorities said in a statement. “There is no further danger."
Police said it appeared that there was only one suspect and one victim.
The motive for the attack is likely to be personal, dpa reported.
The school was initially cordoned off and students were asked to stay in their classrooms for their safety, dpa reported. Later Thursday, around 180 students were led out of the school to another location where they were being counseled by special staff. After that, they would be able to return to their parents, dpa reported.
No further details were immediately available on the suspect, the victim or the weapon.
School shootings are unusual in Germany. However, the country has seen some shootings at schools over the years. In March 2009, a 17-year-old student killed 15 people and then himself in the town of Winnenden.
