Germany

Teenaged gunman kills 15 at high school

Article published on the 2009-03-12 Latest update 2009-03-12 07:05 TU

A sign asks "why?" near the school where the shooting took place
(Photo: Reuters)

A 17-year-old went on a killing spree Wednesday at his former high school in southern Germany, killing at least 15 people after engaging in a gunfight with police. He then turned the gun on himself. Tim Kretschmer opened fire in the school in the town of Winnenden, killing nine students and three teachers. Three more were killed during a subsequent manhunt.

Germany’s Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schauble, ordered flags to be flown at half mast Thursday across the country.

"It is a day of mourning for the whole of Germany,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel, calling the shooting “incomprehensible”.

It began at 9:30 AM local time, when Kretschmer started shooting his nine-millimetre gun into classrooms of the 600-student Abertville-Realschule school, according to witnesses.

All but one of the nine students killed were girls, and the three teachers were women, said Heribert Rech, the Interior Minister of Baden-Wuerttemberg state, which contains the 27,000 person town of Winnenden.

"I don't want to speculate too much about this at this point,” he said. “The pupils sitting nearest the door were girls.”

After Kretschmer started shooting, police snipers and commandos descended upon the school, and engaged in a manhunt and gunfight, aided by helicopters and dogs.

Kretschmer killed himself after he was wounded in the fight with police.