A hostage-taker held people in a pharmacy in Karlsruhe for several hours. In the evening, the police stormed the building – with a happy ending.
Great concern in Karlsruhe: A hostage-taking in a pharmacy kept the city in suspense for hours. The police are deployed with a large contingent and special forces, and are still pulling together more and more emergency services on Friday evening, as the German Press Agency learned from police circles. Around 4.30 p.m. the first emergency calls came in. Several hostages are in the violence of the perpetrator. After almost five hours – at 9:10 p.m., special forces storm the pharmacy and end the kidnapping.
Fortunately, no hostages were physically injured, police spokesman Dennis Krull said. A suspect was overpowered and arrested for the time being. According to the police, he had at least eleven people in his power. The perpetrator is still being determined against a second person, the police said late in the evening.
Eyewitnesses reported two loud bangs, police officers ran towards the pharmacy. Even after the arrest, police officers searched the building – to ensure that there was not another perpetrator hiding, as the spokesman said. For tactical reasons, the police initially did not want to provide any information about possible demands and ransom demands.
The police had contact with the pharmacy very early on. According to the emergency services, there was no danger to the population. Nevertheless, the police called on people to avoid the area of operation and to follow the instructions of the emergency services. A school for accommodation was opened for residents. Everyone who couldn’t go home because of the barriers had the opportunity to go to the secondary school.
The Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe, Frank Mentrup, thanked the emergency services on behalf of the city and wished the freed hostages that they could process what they had experienced as quickly as possible. Karlsruhe is relieved that this dangerous situation ended without bloodshed, the SPD politician emphasized in a statement.
