Eighteen Killed in German School Shooting

Two teachers and a policeman were among 18 people killed today and at least six other people were injured after two gunmen opened fire in a German school.

Both assailants are believed to be pupils or former pupils at the Gutenberg school in Erfurt, in the east of the country, and one of them is now dead, a police spokesman said. He did not say how the attacker had died.

The remaining gunman is believed to be holding hostages in the school. Police said they had not yet established contact with him but there are reports that there are seriously injured people among the hostages, including schoolchildren.

It is not clear what provoked the shooting spree.

Police received a call at 11.05am from the school's headteacher who said someone was shooting in the building.

An initial team of officers arrived on the scene shortly after and entered the school. One of these policemen is among the dead.

A team of special police commandos was sent to surround the brown stone building, located in a residential area of Erfurt.

More than two hours later, the commandos were seen storming the building.

Outside, an officer with a megaphone urged parents to register their children's names before leaving the scene, and groups of dazed and shocked pupils huddled in the street, hugging and crying.

One of those outside, Martin Streng, said he was in a maths class when he heard gunfire coming from another classroom.

As he and other pupils filed into the hallway to flee the building, they saw a man with a gun in the corridor behind them, he said.

The school shooting is Germany's second in two months.

In February, a 22-year-old German who recently lost his job shot and killed two former bosses and his old headteacher in a rampage in Freising near Munich.