German probe into school shooting

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7938876.stm

Version 2 of 4.

Police in Germany are investigating why a teenage gunman went on a shooting spree that began at his former school and ended with the loss of 16 lives.

Nine students, including eight girls, three teachers and three members of the public, were shot during 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer's rampage on Wednesday.

The teenager eventually shot himself after a shoot-out with police.

Flags are flying at half-mast across Germany for those killed in the south-west towns of Winnenden and Wendlingen.

<a name="goback"></a> <a class="bodl" href="#map"> See where the school shooting took place</a>

Chancellor Angela Merkel called the incident "incomprehensible", and said the whole nation was in mourning.

Hundreds of people took part in emotional church services in Winnenden, where the school is located, to remember the victims.

'No grudge'

Investigators have been examining the computer and personal belongings of Tim Kretschmer to find out his motivation for the killing spree.

TIM KRETSCHMER Left Albertville school last year after passing exams (pictured above in 2004)Officials said he was an ordinary pupil who had received good reports from schoolGerman media reported he had begun an apprenticeshipLived in the village of LeutenbachA keen table-tennis player, who aspired to become professional <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7937554.stm">How school shooting unfolded</a><a class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7938402.stm">Attack raises gun-law questions</a><a class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7938484.stm">Boy was 'arrogant, not aggressive'</a>

Police say he had apparently used a gun registered to his father, a member of a shooting club who is reported to have had a collection of guns in the house.

Large amounts of ammunition were also said to have been taken.

Kretschmer entered the Albertville secondary school, north of Stuttgart, dressed in black combat gear, 0930 (0830 GMT).

Eight girls and one boy were killed after he opened fire, along with three teachers, all of them women. Seven other children suffered minor injuries.

Baden-Wuerttemburg's Interior Minister Heribert Rech described Kretschmer as an unremarkable student who had gained average grades and was enrolled on a course to be a salesman.

Officials say it currently seems the 17-year-old did not hold a grudge against the school.

"There are no indications at the moment of any warning of suggestion that the attack could have been foreseen," Mr Rech said.

"It is conspicuous that most of his victims were female," he said, but added that he did not want to speculate about possible motives.

'Panic and shock'

As Kretschmer fired at students, terrified pupils leapt from the school windows to escape.

The town of Winnenden, along with the rest of the country, is in shock

A student called Celina told the BBC how the gunman had come into her classroom and "just shot everywhere".

"I threw myself on the floor and took my friends with me, and then I went to a corner and put a table in front of me, and he came again a second time and shot again," she said.

"We were in panic and in shock."

Another pupil, Eileen Toraman, said one of her friends had been killed while another had broken her leg jumping from a third-floor window.

"I don't understand why this happened. I have no idea what is supposed to happen now."

Some 60 spent rounds of ammunition were later found in the school.

As he fled the school, the gunman killed a passer-by.

He hijacked a car, taking its driver hostage, before stopping in the town of Wendlingen, about 40km (25 miles) away from the school.

He then shot and killed two men at a car showroom.

A fire-fight with police followed and the teenager was hit in the leg.

He fled and turned the weapon on himself.

Wednesday's attack was the most deadly school-shooting in Germany since 2002, when a former school pupil in the eastern city of Erfurt killed 14 teachers, two pupils and a police officer.

<a class="bodl" href="#goback"> Return to top</a>

<hr />

Are you in the area? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments using the form below.

<i>In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below.</i>

<a name="say"></a><form method="post" action="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/cgiemail/newstalk/form_all.txt"> <input name="email_subject" type="hidden" value="Germany School shooting7936817"> <input name="mailto" type="hidden" value="talkingpoint@bbc.co.uk"> <input name="success" type="hidden" value="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7936817.stm"> Name