German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his condolences after six adults were shot dead at a youth welfare facility in the northern town of Stade on Monday.
"The news from Stade is profoundly shocking," Merz wrote on social media platform X, adding that many people "who wanted to help and protect others" had been killed or injured.
"My condolences go out to the victims and their families," he said, also thanking police officers for their rapid response.
Police said six employees of the youth welfare facility were killed in the attack on Monday. Preliminary findings suggest the motive was likely a custody dispute, according to investigators.
The suspected attacker, a 45-year-old German-born man of Turkish origin, was arrested later the same afternoon while fleeing, police said.
