A hostage-taking keeps Dresden in suspense in the morning. A shopping center and parts of the city center are being evacuated. Finally, the police can arrest the perpetrator. The hostages remain unharmed. But the kidnapper is said to have killed his mother.
The hostage-taking in Dresden is over. The alleged hostage-taker was caught, but seriously injured and currently not able to be questioned, said a police spokesman. It was initially unclear whether the man injured himself or was injured during the arrest. According to the police, two hostages - an employee and a child - remained unharmed.
The man had holed himself up in the Altmarktgalerie shopping center in downtown Dresden in the morning. Around 7:20 a.m., the police in Dresden-Prohlis also found a dead woman in an apartment building. The homicide is related to the operation in downtown Dresden, the police said. The suspect is the woman's 40-year-old German son.
According to a police spokesman, the alleged perpetrator is very conspicuous in his mental behavior. "We're most likely assuming a mental illness." Other than that, the police were not aware of anything. Everything points to a mental illness.
The large-scale closure of the city center was lifted. "All clear," said the police on Twitter. "There is no longer a dangerous situation." Because of the operation, the Striezelmarkt, one of the most famous Christmas markets in Germany, was initially unable to open. According to the police, there were also traffic restrictions, and local public transport was also affected.
