A man suspected of fatally shooting six child welfare workers at a shelter for mothers in Stade, northern Germany, last month died by suicide in jail on Tuesday, the Lower Saxony state justice ministry announced.
The suspect, identified in German media as 45-year-old Fatih Khan G., was discovered by jail staff in his cell early Tuesday. The ministry stated there were "currently no indications of third-party involvement" in his death and that both his and the victims' relatives had been notified.
The June 29 attack at the shelter for mothers and children in Stade resulted in the deaths of four women and two men, marking one of the most severe mass shootings in recent German history. A seventh person sustained injuries but survived.
Authorities reported that the suspect arrived at the center for an appointment regarding care arrangements for his three-month-old daughter. He then allegedly produced a firearm and opened fire on the child welfare workers. The child and her mother, who were present at the time, were unharmed.
Following the shooting, the suspect attempted to flee in a car driven by a 65-year-old woman described as having "a close connection to the gunman's family." Police pursued the vehicle, and officers fired on the car, though neither the suspect nor the driver were injured.
Forensic Police officers were seen at the housing center for pregnant women in Stade where the shooting occurred on June 29, 2026. Police and rescuers also worked at the scene of the incident. The suspect's vehicle, a grey Mercedes, was later seen with at least one tire blown out, surrounded by police.
An eyewitness told the German news magazine Focus that they heard police fire shots at the fleeing car. Police reportedly ordered the occupants to stop, but when the car did not, officers fired approximately 15 rounds. Reports indicated shots were heard aimed at the "chest" and "head."
Der Spiegel, citing unnamed sources, reported that the man had previously been accused of shaking his infant daughter. Doctors reportedly found injuries consistent with shaking, and the suspect allegedly made threats against medical personnel, leading to a police investigation that was later dropped.
Germany maintains some of Europe's strictest gun laws, requiring individuals under 25 to pass psychiatric evaluations before obtaining a gun license. Despite these regulations, mass shootings, though relatively rare, do occur. The June incident in Stade was among the deadliest in recent years. Earlier in 2026, two separate shootings in Berlin and Strullendorf resulted in a total of four deaths and four injuries. Previous notable shootings include an attack in Hanau in February 2020 that killed nine people, and a March 2023 incident in Hamburg where a former Jehovah's Witness member killed six people before taking his own life.