German school siege ends
A teenage gunman who took four hostages at a school in Germany surrendered tonight after letting all the youngsters go unharmed, police said.
The six-hour stand-off at the school in Waiblingen, near Stuttgart, ended at around 9.20pm local time (8.20pm Irish time).
The hostage-taker had told police that he wanted €1m and a getaway car but there was no apparent motive for his actions.
After about five hours, he released two of the hostages.
About 100 students were in the Friedensschule, or Peace School, for afternoon lessons when a 16-year-old former student walked in and sat down in a second-floor computer room.
Minutes later, he stood up and pulled out a handgun.
Students said he warned them to remain calm and then gave a mobile phone number to a teacher.
He made students close the curtain before sending the teacher and all but four students out of the room, then called police himself.
“He said ‘If you don’t keep quiet something will happen’,” said one witness.
