HEIDELBERG: A gunman stormed a lecture hall at Heidelberg University in southwestern Germany on Monday, killing a young woman and injuring three others before fleeing the scene and turning the weapon on himself.

The man fired shots “wil­dly” around the amphitheatre, a police spokesman said.

He appeared to have no religious or political motive, German media reported. All four victims were “seriously injured”, police said. One of them later succumbed to her wounds in hospital, security sources said.

Police said the man was a “lone perpetrator” wielding a “long gun”, confirming that he had left the amphitheatre before killing himself. More details are expected at a press conference on Monday evening.

The shooting triggered a major police operation at the university’s Neuenheimer Feld campus, with police on Twitter urging people to steer clear of the area “so that rescue workers and emergency services can travel freely”.

Police said later that there was no longer any danger, adding that they were “not aware of any letter claiming responsibility” for the attack.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2022