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Kidnapping suspect in Karlsruhe was known to police

March 11, 2023

The reasons behind the five-hour hostage drama at a pharmacy in Karlsruhe still remain unclear. The suspect was working alone, a police spokesperson said.

https://p.dw.com/p/4OX2T
Police preparing to force entry into a pharmacy in central Karlsruhe, March 10, 2023.
Police forced entry into the building on Friday evening after a standoff lasting several hoursImage: Christoph Schmidt/dpa/picture alliance

Police in the city of Karlsruhe arrested one suspect on Friday evening after a five-hour hostage drama at a pharmacy. 

Authorities later revealed that the 20-year-old suspect was already known to police as he had been previously charged with violent crimes and property offences.

The suspected hostage taker was working alone, police said. The initial suspicion that the man might have had a female accomplice was not confirmed. 

What were the details of the incident? 

Several people were taken hostage around 4:30 p.m. local time (1530 UTC) at the store in the center of the city in the southwest German state of Baden Württemberg.

Police said they arrived at the scene within a couple of minutes because units happened to be nearby.

Police were in contact with the hostage taker prior to entering the building.

"At 9:10 p.m. a specialist unit forced entry into the pharmacy and arrested the suspected hostage-taker," police and public prosecutors said in a joint statement.

Eyewitnesses said a loud bang could be heard as they entered.

Police later said all of the hostages were unharmed after the operation.

Police and proseuctors believe the man had held 11 people as hostages. 

Local media reports suggested the hostage taker had demanded a ransom of several million euros. 

For strategic purposes, the police had refused to provide any information about possible ransom demands. 
Police and prosecutors said the suspect's potential motives or reasons were not yet clear.

Police cars in Karlsruhe
Police cordoned off the area in the central part of the cityImage: Martin Oversohl/dpa/picture alliance

Area cordoned off, events cancelled 

Police said that the situation did not pose a danger to the public, but had asked people to avoid the area and follow the instructions of emergency services.

Police cordoned off an "ample" area around the pharmacy where the hostage situation was ongoing.

A school was opened up for residents who were unable to reach their homes in cordoned-off areas, police said, while events that were scheduled at nearby venues were canceled. 

Karslruhe is a city of roughly 300,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is home to the constitutional court and the other top federal courts. 

los, sdi/ar, msh (dpa, Reuters, AFP)