At a secondary school (Gymnasium) in Schongau, Upper Bavaria, a 16-year-old former student seriously injured two 13-year-old girls with a knife during a rampage attack. The teenager reportedly targeted the girls as random victims, said Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) on-site on Wednesday evening. The alleged perpetrator apparently acted while in a state of severe mental distress; nevertheless, he was initially placed in pretrial detention rather than in a psychiatric facility.
Witnesses reported the attack at the Welfen-Gymnasium at around 1 p.m., after which police deployed a large contingent of officers to the school, which is attended by around 800 students. According to Dobrindt, the suspect first fired a shot from a firearm at the start of the rampage. However, the weapon then failed. The teenager then pulled a knife and went after female students, seriously injuring two of them.
Teachers and police officers who arrived in the meantime were able to overpower the attacker. The injured students were also able to get away from the scene of the attack and were then treated by police officers. The two girls apparently stumbled up in the attacker's "path of terror" by chance, Dobrindt said.
According to the CSU politician, the attacker is a former student of the school. Based on current findings, it is assumed that he acted alone. According to the Federal Interior Minister, the teenager was in an acute psychological crisis and had previously received treatment, Dobrindt did not provide further details. "Investigations are ongoing," he said. The relevant assessment procedures are underway, and the 16-year-old was initially remanded in pre-trial detention.
Dobrindt thanked the emergency responders, of whom 160 personnel were deployed on-site. The attacker was overpowered 17 minutes after the first alarm was raised. This helped prevent an even worse outcome. Aside from the two seriously injured girls, no further physically injured students were initially reported. However, several students reportedly suffered shock and required treatment.
Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) stated: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured in Schongau." Such an act inflicts not only visible but also many invisible wounds. "Thank you to everyone who is now providing help and supporting one another," Söder said.
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