German
police say a 17-year-old gunman has been killed following a shooting spree that
began at a school near Stuttgart and left 15 other people dead.
Police say nine students and three teachers at the Albertville
technical high school in the town of Winnenden are among the dead. A resident
near the school and two others also were killed.
Earlier reports had put the number of victims at 16, but later
called this an error.
Authorities say the shooter
was a former student who was previously known to police.
In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced
shock at the rampage, describing the killings as an "appalling crime." She
called Wednesday "a day of mourning for the whole of Germany."
Police say the youth, dressed in black fatigues, entered a
classroom at the school of 1,500 students Wednesday morning and opened fire.
Authorities say the suspect
escaped the scene by car and was later killed by police in a nearby town.
Police closed all schools in
the region and warned local residents to remain indoors as scores of helmeted
police hunted for the gunman and helicopters circled the town.
Some information for this report was provided by AP
and Reuters.