German police conduct search for armed individual at Ludwigshafen secondary school

Police in Ludwigshafen, Germany, are conducting a large-scale search for an armed individual reportedly spotted on the grounds of Karolina-Burger-Realschule, following eyewitness reports.

Authorities have cordoned off the area surrounding the school, though they emphasize that there is currently no indication of an immediate threat, Bild reports.

The school, located in the Mundenheim district, serves approximately 800 students, according to city officials. Police were alerted to the situation 11:41 a.m.

During the operation, students were instructed to remain in their classrooms while officers searched the premises. Those already outside the building at the start of the operation were escorted to the athletics hall on Erich-Reimann-Strasse, which also served as a contact point for relatives. Police established their command center at the Mundenheim main fire station.

“The school is currently being searched by police forces. Students must remain in their classrooms until the search is completed,” a police spokesperson said.

At present, no suspicious individuals have been located, and there are no reports of injuries.

The school previously experienced a similar incident in late May, when a 16-year-old student threatened a teacher with a folding knife. The student was restrained in the staff room until police arrived, and no one was harmed. Authorities reported that the student exhibited signs of a psychological crisis and was subsequently handed over to the Municipal Enforcement Service of Ludwigshafen, which admitted her to a child and adolescent psychiatric facility. The youth welfare office was also involved in the case.

By Vafa Guliyeva