A teacher was killed in an attack on a vocational school in Ludwigshafenon Thursday, according to the police. A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death
Police spokesman Michael Lindner told broadcaster N24 that one man died of his injuries after the 23-year-old attacked several teachers at the facility located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
According to news wire DDP the attacker entered the school with a starter pistol and a knife. The teacher reportedly died of severe stab wounds.
Lindner said the suspect's relationship to the victim was not yet clear.
A large contingent of police and rescue workers descended on the scene shortly after 10 am. The authorities quickly evacuated the school, which has around 3,200 students.
Some sent pictures of the evacuation to the online message service Twitter and described the massive police presence.
The authorities in Germany have been especially alert to violence at the country's schools since a 17-year-old boy when on a rampage that left 15 people dead in the town of Winnenden last March.
Ludwigshafen police said they would hold a press conference at 3 pm.
Following Thursday’s attack the head of the German Police Union (DPoIG) Rainer Wendt called for better violence prevention training for police, teachers and students.
“The shorter gaps between such acts of violence in schools show there definitely needs to be regular so-called massacre training in Germany’s schools,” Wendt said in a statement, adding that theorising about such attacks is not enough.
But the union leader also acknowledged that police can’t ensure total security in schools.
“What we need is a comprehensive, professional psycho-social care for students – independent of concrete concerns,” Wendt said. “We must strengthen our families and schools so that our youth will be strong”.
DPA
The Local | Germany
