Stade mass shooting suspect dies by suicide in custody, CDU demands answers from justice minister

Discovery in the cell

On Tuesday morning, a prison officer at JVA Bremervörde found the 45-year-old suspect lifeless in his single cell during a routine check at around 06:05. He already had no body temperature, the ministry said. A doctor pronounced death by strangulation at 06:29. The Lower Saxony justice ministry stated there were no indications of third-party involvement. According to Der Spiegel, the man had used an outer garment to hang himself, and it is being investigated whether the cell was under video surveillance. The magazine also reported that after his arrest, the suspect had said he wanted to shoot himself but had no ammunition.

The Stade shooting

The suspect was accused of killing six people in late June at a mother-child facility in Stade. Three of the victims worked at the youth welfare facility, and three were employees of the youth welfare office of the Hannover region. The shooting occurred during a help plan discussion, and the background was a custody dispute over his three-month-old daughter, who was housed in the facility with her 34-year-old mother. The man was arrested shortly after the crime while fleeing and had been in pre-trial detention ever since. The case caused nationwide horror and sparked a debate about the safety of social workers.

Political fallout

The CDU opposition in Lower Saxony sharply criticized Justice Minister Kathrin Wahlmann (SPD). Parliamentary managing director Carina Hermann spoke of a "series of serious failures and omissions" in the justice ministry.

The justice minister must now fully disclose when indications of possible self-endangerment were present, how they were assessed, what protective measures were ordered, and whether they were actually adhered to.

Hermann also said the suspect, as an acutely suicidal detainee, should have been monitored around the clock. She called on Minister-President Olaf Lies to intervene, warning that the problems of his justice minister would otherwise become his own. The CDU pointed to previous incidents, including the temporary escape of a convicted murderer from prison, and noted that key leadership positions in the ministry remain unfilled. Hermann added that the suicide denied the victims' relatives the possibility of a full criminal trial.

Investigation status

The criminal proceedings against the deceased suspect have been discontinued, as German law does not allow investigations against the dead. However, the Stade public prosecutor's office continues to investigate the driver of the getaway car and the mother of the child. These proceedings will also be dropped if it is determined that the man acted alone. The investigation into the circumstances of the suicide is ongoing.