- Ammunition and explosives were found in the soldier's car and police are searching a barracks for clues about the incident
- There was also a shooting in the nearby town of Bothel, about 13 kilometers away
A soldier is accused of murdering four people, including a child, in a home in Germany last night.
The victims are said to be his ex-girlfriend, her child, her new boyfriend and her boyfriend's mother.
The incident occurred at 3:30 a.m.
After reports of a shooting, several police forces were called to the property in Scheeßel in the Rotenburg district and a helicopter was used to search for the shooter from above.
The tank officers cordoned off the building and stormed it with machine guns.
The tank officers cordoned off the building and stormed it with machine guns
Several police forces were called to the property in Scheeßel in the Rotenburg district
The German newspaper Bild reports that, according to police, there were “several victims” inside the house.
The soldier's age and motive are not yet known, but police said they did not rule out the possibility that there was a “family motive.”
Police spokesman Heiner van der Werp told Bild that the incident was a “family story”.
He also said: “Everything that was available was used.” This includes emergency services from the Lower Saxony State Police and the Federal Police.
The police presence continued throughout the night and into the morning, with officers at the Rotenburg train station and surrounding houses.
Then, at dawn, the suspect turned himself in, according to police.
The soldier's car was found parked in front of the barracks and cordoned off by police
After a search by police, a Molotov cocktail was found in the side compartment of the car
Weapon magazines were discovered in the trunk of the car. It is still not known whether these are military vehicles
The location of the car led the police to initiate a search of the von Düring barracks
While the search began, the area was cordoned off and a helicopter was also used
The perpetrator is said to have been a Bundeswehr soldier and has since been arrested.
Ammunition and explosives were found in the soldier's car, whereupon the police initiated a search of the von Düring barracks in Rotenburg.
The car was parked in front of the barracks.
The police found a Molotov cocktail as well as several magazines for firearms and other ammunition in the side compartment of the driver's door – everything was confiscated.
It is still unclear whether the suspect's weapon came from the Bundeswehr.
Shots were also fired today in the Lower Saxony community of Bothel, presumably by an active Bundeswehr soldier.
Forensic scientists work behind a police cordon in the Von D'ring barracks in Rotenburg
The two crime scenes are approximately 13 kilometers apart and there is a heavy police presence at both locations
The two places are about eight miles apart.
There was a heavy police presence at both crime scenes, at the family home in Scheeßel and at the other crime scene in Bothel.1314
“A motive in the family environment cannot be ruled out,” says the police press release.
One of the large military units in the von Düring barracks, for which the shooter may have worked, is the Jägertruppe.
The Jaeger Troop is a group within the army that is specifically trained for urban combat – for example in cities – places where tanks cannot access.
They are trained with light weapons to fight against enemy infantry.