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Two dead in shooting at Mercedes factory in Germany

Mercedes Benz

A police car leaves the grounds of the Factory 56 at the plant of German car maker Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, southern Germany, after shots were fired at the plant on May 11, 2023. Two people were killed in the shooting. 

Photo credit: AFP

Berlin, 

A man opened fire at a production hall at a Mercedes factory in Germany on Thursday, killing two people, police said, adding the suspect had been arrested.

"A 53-year-old man entered the hall at around 7:45 am (0545 GMT) and shot at two people," police in the city of Ludwigsburg said in a statement.

Security staff detained the suspect in the hall at the Sindelfingen plant and handed him over to police, who arrested him without resistance, the police said.

The victims, both 44-year-old men, later died from their injuries.

Tragic news

No one else was injured, the police said on Twitter.

Police and rescue workers are still on site and the building has been evacuated and secured, the police said, adding that there was no danger to the public. 

The motive for the attack is still being investigated.

Mercedes-Benz confirmed in a statement that two people had died and said they and the suspect were employees of an external service provider.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Sindelfingen this morning. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site," it said.

Bild daily reported that the suspect is an employee of a logistics company.

Around 35,000 people are employed at the Mercedes plant in Solingen, which produces the German car giant's S-Class and premium Maybach models.