SHOOTING SUSPECT FOUND DEAD IN GERMAN PRISON CELL

A man suspected of shooting six people dead at a shelter for pregnant women and young mothers in Stade, northern Germany, on 29 June was found dead in his prison cell on Tuesday. Authorities in Lower Saxony said a doctor determined he died by strangulation. Investigators concluded the suspect killed himself, with no indication of involvement by any other person.

The shooting occurred at a facility providing temporary accommodation for pregnant women or young mothers with children. All six victims were employees of the shelter or the regional youth welfare office. Investigators believed the attack was connected to a custody dispute over the suspect's 3-month-old daughter. The suspect, a Turkish national born in Germany, was under investigation on suspicion of murder at the time of his death.

The suspect was being held at a prison in Bremervörde, near Stade, when he was discovered dead early on Tuesday. The regional justice ministry in Lower Saxony confirmed the circumstances of his death. The incident concludes an investigation that began following the shooting at the shelter in late June.