3 dead, 5 wounded in shooting in southern Germany

8/20/2013

BERLIN — A gunman opened fire on a meeting in a village in south Germany today, killing two people and wounding five before taking his own life, police said.

A police statement said the assailant had been attending an evening meeting of a property owners’ association in a restaurant in Dossenheim, a village near Heidelberg, about 273 miles (440 kilometers) southwest of Berlin.

Heated words were exchanged and the man stormed out but returned later with a weapon and opened fire on the meeting before turning the weapon on himself, the statement said.

The five wounded were rushed to the hospital, where one was reported in serious condition. None of the dead or injured were identified.

Police spokesman Tobias Keilbach said it was unclear exactly what prompted the shooting and “the precise sequence of events is unclear.”

Those who attended the meeting but were not injured were so badly shaken that police have been unable to question them, he said.