German police confirmed on Saturday that the hostage situation in the eastern German city of Dresden was over. Media reports quoted officials as saying that the gunman was killed after receiving life-threatening injuries.
The news agency Reuters stated that the 40-year-old hostage-taker died of the fatal injuries he sustained during the police operation.
As quoted by the news agency, Armin Schuster, the interior minister of the state of Saxony, said, “I am outraged by the act of what appears to be a psychologically confused individual acting alone.”
DW’s report mentioned that the cops tried to contact the armed man via telephone during the operation.
As quoted by The Sun, police spokesman Thomas Geithner said, “The suspect died in the operation in connection with a hostage-taking in downtown Dresden. The 40-year-old suffered fatal injuries during the attack and the liberation of the hostages.”
Wir stehen im Kontakt mit dem Täter. Auch unser SEK und die Verhandlungsgruppe ist vor Ort. #dd1012
— Polizei Sachsen (@PolizeiSachsen) December 10, 2022
In a separate statement, the police said that the German man was believed to have killed his 62-year-old mother in an apartment building in the Prohlis district of Dresden.
Earlier, they had evacuated a shopping mall and the surrounding areas to tackle the situation when an armed man had entered the Ammonhof office building. The police had also shut down the famous Striezelmarkt Christmas market.
In a statement shared on Twitter, police said, “All-clear! The hostage situation in #Dresden is over!” The cops also added that two people who appeared to be unharmed were in its care.
Geithner further added, “This morning there was a hostage situation in downtown Dresden. A 40-year-old man from Dresden took two people hostage, a woman and a child.”
“In the end, special forces seized the hostages. The two hostages were taken into custody, they are unharmed and safe and are now being looked after,” it added.
(With inputs from agencies)
