Man arrested near Stuttgart in fatal shooting that also wounded one

Stuttgart, April 9, (dpa/GNA) - Police have arrested a man in a shooting that killed one 18-year-old man and severely wounded another in Asperg, near the German city of Stuttgart, a police spokesman said on Sunday. 

The spokesman refused to say whether the arrested man is a suspect, adding that the investigation into the shooting that happened on Saturday morning is ongoing. The public prosecutor’s office also said little about the arrest. 

The man was taken into custody at a residential building by special police task force. The tabloid daily Bild first reported the arrest. 

Numerous people alerted the police after shots echoed through the night, a spokesman said. 

In recent weeks, there have been repeated incidents of people being shot around Stuttgart, the capital of the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg. 

Investigators say they are looking into a connection between the crime in Asperg, about 20 kilometres west of Stuttgart, and other shootings in the region. 

Christian Eiberger, Asperg’s mayor, said the town is in shock after the crime. 

“This is a new dimension of violence that I could not have imagined,” said Eiberger. He added that the crime scene was a gravel car park in middle of the town. It was not known as a typical meeting place for young people, the mayor added. 

GNA