–><!—-><!—->
Production at Mercedes’ plant near Stuttgart will be halted until the end of the week following a fatal shooting on its grounds
<!–
–> by Sebastien Bell
4 hours ago
–> 
by Sebastien Bell
–>
On Thursday morning, tragedy unfolded at Mercedes’ plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, when an unidentified gunman entered the assembly area and fatally shot two individuals. The motive behind this horrifying incident remains unknown at this time.
The victims of the incident were identified as two 44-year-old men. While one of them was taken to the hospital, sadly, he later succumbed to his injuries. According to DW, the gunman is believed to have targeted a production line leader at the plant. However, Reuters provides additional information, stating that the 53-year-old perpetrator and the victims were all employed by a third-party service provider.
Incidents of this nature are uncommon in the country, as German plants are generally known for their stringent security measures. The circumstances surrounding how the gunman managed to enter the premises with a firearm, as well as the specific type of firearm used, remain unknown. Likewise, the motive behind the attack has not been determined at this time.
Read: Mercedes-Benz EQS Luxury Electric Sedan Enters Production In Sindelfingen
The first shots were reportedly fired at 7:45 a.m. local time. The plant’s internal security then overpowered the shooter, and held him down until police arrived. They report that the man did not resist arrest.
Employees said that the event took place in Factory 56, where Mercedes assembles the S-Class and the EQS. The plant in Sindelfingen, which is near Stuttgart, employs around 35,000 people, and it was evacuated following the first reports of gunfire. The automaker will halt production at the plant until the end of the week.
advertisement scroll to continue
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Sindelfingen this morning,” said Mercedes in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site.”
Police say they are still gathering information in relation to this event and that staff are being provided with psychological support. The shooting comes as Germany considers imposing stricter gun laws following a shooting in Hamburg in March.
