Germany: Police arrest suspect after Bavaria school attack

At least two girls have been seriously injured in a suspected attack at a high school in the Bavarian town of Schongau, police said.

The girls were taken to hospital. Police said it was initially unclear whether their injuries were life-threatening.

Authorities had earlier said several people were injured at the Welfen-Gymnasium in what appeared to be a rampage attack.

The suspect, a 16-year-old, initially fled but was apprehended a short time later. A police helicopter was used in the search.

Speaking near the scene of the incident, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the suspect was “a former pupil at the school” who had possibly been suffering “mental health emergency.”

The suspect had been carrying knives and a firearm, Dobrindt said. When the firearm malfunctioned, he used a knife to injure two schoolgirls.

“The teachers and the police officers who had by then arrived on the scene were able to overpower the suspect,” Dobrindt added.

Read more: Deutsche Welle