crime
Hostage taking at Ulm’s Münsterplatz – police shoot
Two policewomen stand behind police tape at Münsterplatz. photo
© Nico Pointner/dpa
Münsterplatz is located in the heart of Ulm. A hostage-taking on Friday evening triggers a major police operation. The alleged perpetrator’s escape is stopped.
The police have a hostage situation in Ulm Münsterplatz ended with the use of firearms. “The perpetrator was arrested. The hostage remained unharmed,” said police headquarters. It was initially unclear whether and how seriously the man was injured. A spokesman could not initially say how often the police had fired.
According to a statement, the hostage-taking began at around 6:45 p.m. in a shop on Münsterplatz. At 8:20 p.m., a male and armed perpetrator left the building with a hostage and fled. The police fired shots.
The police had closed the central Münsterplatz in Ulm and the entrances there because of the operation. “Avoid the area as far as possible,” wrote the Presidium on the short message service X (formerly: Twitter).
A police spokesman said there was no danger to the public. In order not to hinder the police officers in their work, people should avoid the area if possible. The aim is to provide further information to the public via the short message service X, among other things, as soon as this is possible.
Police officers sent passers-by from Münsterplatz and cordoned off the area with red and white striped tape. The townhouse was evacuated. There was an event there that evening.
The area was empty later in the evening. There was an armored vehicle on the square. Young people stood at the barriers, some filming on cell phones and talking quietly.
Münsterplatz is located in the heart of the 130,000-inhabitant city on the Danube, on the border between Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The city’s landmark is the Ulm Minster on the square where the site is located. It has the highest church tower in the world at 161.53 meters.