Sindelfingen
Two dead in the Mercedes plant – motive after shots unclear
A police vehicle leaves the factory premises at Gate 5. photo
© Julian Rettig/dpa
What was the reason for the deadly shots at Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen? The police are investigating in all directions. A minute’s silence is planned for the victims.
After the deadly shots at the Mercedes plant in Sindelfingen near Stuttgart, the police and public prosecutors continue to puzzle over the reason for the crime. “The motive for the crime is still unclear,” said a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office. Nothing is currently being ruled out, not even a political background.
The 53-year-old Turk is said to have shot two colleagues – all employees of the logistics company Rhenus – on Thursday morning. Police and prosecutors announced a written statement for the afternoon at the latest. The suspected shooter is in custody.
Minute of silence and mourning room
The two dead are said to be two 44-year-old men. A police spokesman did not provide information on the nationality of the victims on request. On Monday there will be a minute’s silence at the plant in Sindelfingen, according to a spokesman for the carmaker. There is also a mourning room on site in memory of the victims. The spokesman was initially unable to say what the exact procedure would be on Monday. Production in Hall 56, where the crime took place, remains stopped for the time being. There should be no work up to and including Sunday.
The factory security had overpowered the suspect. The police were then able to arrest the man without resistance. According to the investigators, this happened a few minutes after the first emergency call was received, which the emergency services had received around 7:45 a.m. on Thursday.
Many questions still unanswered
The questions of what kind of weapon it was and how it got onto the factory premises are also open. In addition, the police and the public prosecutor’s office will have to clarify, among other things, whether there were conflicts between the three men beforehand or what could have triggered the crime. The criminal investigation department of the police headquarters in Ludwigsburg is conducting the investigation.
The Sindelfingen plant of Mercedes-Benz has a history of more than one hundred years. Around 35,000 employees work there. In addition to the E-Class, the S-Class and its electric counterpart EQS also roll off the assembly line in Sindelfingen.