Teacher in shock

Armed man triggers amok alarm at Berlin school

A 22-year-old man armed with a knife and a blank-firing pistol was arrested at a school in Petershagen near Berlin on Friday morning. A rampage could have been prevented, said Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen in the afternoon. 

The politician assessed the situation as very dangerous. "This is not a false alarm." The perpetrator had threatened teachers at the comprehensive school.

In the morning, an employee of the school had triggered the amok alarm. Specially trained emergency services then searched the school building and overpowered the man. The perpetrator and one of the police officers were slightly injured.

Man forced the alarm
According to the police, the young man had entered the school before the start of lessons and asked for the secretary's office. According to initial findings, he threatened a school employee there with a knife and a firearm and demanded that the woman press an alarm button. According to the police, there were only a few school staff and teachers in the building at the time.

The man was arrested shortly after the alarm was raised. A teacher at the school suffered a shock. The employees and the pupils attending the school were cared for by emergency counselors.

School was locked down
The police arrested the 22-year-old for the time being. A blank firearm and a knife were found on him. The officers then cordoned off the school. After the arrest, officers searched the surrounding area for other sources of danger or potential accomplices. According to the police, the operation ended around midday.

According to the current state of the investigation, the perpetrator acted alone, as a police spokesperson explained. He was also not a former pupil of the school. The police initially did not want to comment on the 22-year-old's motive. Charges have been filed for threats, coercion and violation of the Weapons Act.