Violent act with six deaths: Stade: politician’s mother-in-law drove getaway car

The 65-year-old driver of the getaway car after the violence in Stade is the mother-in-law of the Lower Saxony State Commissioner for Migration and Participation Deniz Kurku. The SPD politician made this known in a statement via a lawyer. “Immediately after I became aware of my mother-in-law’s concern based on media reports, I reported this to the investigative authorities and other bodies in my professional environment,” says the personal statement. Initially, several media outlets reported on it, including NDR and “Spiegel”.

Kurku expressed his condolences in his statement. “My thoughts are with the victims, their relatives, those close to them and all those who had to witness this terrible act.”

The public prosecutor’s office is investigating the circumstances of the crime

After the violent act at the youth facility in Stade, in which six people were shot, the suspected shooter fled in a car driven by the 65-year-old woman, according to investigators. Officers shot the car’s tires and arrested the occupants. According to previous information from investigators, the woman is said to have a close connection to the suspect’s family.

The exact course of the crime and what role the woman played in it are still unclear. The police questioned her about the crime. The Stade public prosecutor’s office said in response to a dpa request that involvement in the crime is still the subject of the investigation.

How the SPD parliamentary group reacts

The SPD parliamentary group in the Lower Saxony state parliament stood behind its MP. Deniz Kurku has no connection with the crime, said parliamentary group leader Stefan Politze in a statement. “He made it clear that he had no knowledge of it.” He disclosed the family connection. “This does not give rise to any political or personal responsibility for the actions of others,” said Politze. Kurku is a “highly respected” and “extraordinarily committed” MP.

“Speculation and blanket accusations against uninvolved relatives are inappropriate and do not do justice to the seriousness of the crime,” said the group leader.

The suspected shooter, a 45-year-old with Turkish nationality, is in custody. The public prosecutor’s office accuses him of six counts of murder. Investigators are currently assuming that the motive for the fatal shooting is a custody dispute.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:260702-930-325224/1