17-year-old gunman kills 15 in Germany before taking own life

Thursday 12th March, 06:35 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 65 Total Comments Show All

SuperLib at 11:58 PM JST - 12th March

What is it about German society that makes someone do this?
cleo at 12:52 AM JST - 13th March

I guess gun control doesn't really work as it appears the kid used his father's legally registered weapons.

That's a bit like saying 'I guess making people pass a driving test before they're allowed on the roads doesn't really work, as it appears people still have traffic accidents.' As long as there are vehicles on the road some accidents are going to happen; as long as you let people have guns at home, even legally registered ones, some people are going to use them to kill. Effective gun control would remove the guns, not simply register them.
epok47 at 02:01 AM JST - 13th March

Iam from Germany, and at 1. i will say that we are very deeply shocked. Kim K. has stolen the Baretta from his Father, he hid the gun in bedroom. The Father owned at least informations 15 rifles inside the safe, except for the named Baretta with more than 200 Bullets. Also notice that Kim K. was in psychological therapy, due to depressions indication. So far the latest informations from Germany
Badsey at 03:22 AM JST - 13th March

Where were the guns? This criminal (with mental issues) could have easily been stopped. How about owning a Taser?

Recession = the crazyness in people comes out.
bushlover at 05:25 AM JST - 13th March

Sorry but I really don't think it's that there is no gun control that makes people use them to kill people on a whim. Germany is one example here that it's the personality. In actuality The availability of guns in the USA is high but we only have a few incidents of younguns going to school and shooting people up whereas in Germany, Canada and other countries we also have similar incidents on a lower scale because they have lower populations AND better gun control. So why does it happen in these countries? Well from my observations of Japan, The USA and Canada (I love this country btw despite the many america haters there.), There is a real tendency for the younger generations being quite unable to control their emotions. Japan has more stabbing and vehicular homicide type of incidents than gun incidents. I think it's a mental problem with the younger generations and even some of the older generations too. People go on rampages for different reasons but many involve low self esteem as proven by the tendency to suicide after the rampage is done. I suggest we stop pampering our kids like little babies for everything and be a bit tough on them so they can grow up with a backbone and some self esteem of their own and not every little thing hurt their fragile feelings making them so sensitive that they get the urge to 'get back at' the general population. Like someone said above, A gun is only a tool. So is a car, a knife a boxcutter for example. So lets not solely blame the guns. Lets put the onus on the individual more.
Badsey at 06:36 AM JST - 13th March

This melée reminds me of "Doom" and "GTA" all rolled into one. I will expect a self-made video on YouTube soon.

Kids these days are a scary lot.
IchyaWarFare at 07:45 AM JST - 13th March

Badsey - I do not know where your comment is coming from? Doom is about a Space Marine sent to Mars and GTA is a game about doing things for gangs and trying to get to the top of whatever? How does it relate or you just trying to get a reaction? There is no game that has been published that is about killing children. Name one.

kwatt - There is not enough visual memory to help you shoot a gun. If maybe you played a gun arcade, maybe, but they sure do not teach you about recoil and proper alignment. Even though this kid may have been mental, his dad probably taught him how to shoot at the range. As far as I know, I am sure he did not spray and pray. If you think Jack Bauer, James Bond and Jason Bourne are going to teach you to kill, you are very sadly mistaken.
MrOzD at 12:37 PM JST - 13th March

A car is a tool. Its purpose is to facilitate transportation. A knife is a tool. Its used for cutting things. A gun is a tool. Its used for killing things. It's really pretty simple.
SmithUS at 05:19 PM JST - 13th March

“If the government can guarantee my safety, then I'd be willing to listen, but both you and i know they can't. A police state like Germany is proof of that.”

Just wondering if the above comment is trying to use this incident as proof that we and our kids should pack guns for protection since the government can’t protect high school kids from their rampaging peers. Even in a crazy scenario where all the kids and their parents packed guns, a shooter would simply know to plan ahead and catch everyone off guard.

If this German kid’s dad was a gun enthusiast, how do you know he didn’t get the idea to shoot people from the gun culture that surrounded his upbringing? Just because you are responsible with guns doesn’t mean every gun owning parent is.

“Myself, I am convinced that I would be able to drink and drive safely without causing an accident. However, society doesn't allow me to make that decision, because a) the stats say other people can't do it safely and b) I may be deluding myself. Guns however are treated differently.”

Exactly, remember the question is not personal points of view or whether the individual feels more secure owning a gun, the issue is whether or not society as a whole is better off because guns are more readily available.

Because it’s pure speculation that music, movies, video games made this kid or inspires kids to go on shooting sprees, it’s obviously not reliable evidence and therefore we cannot attack the problem from the direction you keep hinting at. We can only focus on the known. Focusing on games, movies, music as the “real” problem is interesting only because the military relies on all of the above to pump up kids and sell the military as an exciting job opportunity.
YangYong at 10:57 PM JST - 13th March

Incredibly sad. Shocking for its rarity and extremism, no run of the mill day to day drab response fits this incident. Like in the States, you know, 'Oh, that again...' stuck on the end of the weather news.
OhioDonna at 12:06 AM JST - 14th March

Gun control does not work for those who intended to maim or kill. They will find a way to get gun even with the most stringent laws. I am saddened for the families in Germany and in Alabama.
MrOzD at 02:20 PM JST - 16th March

Let me clarify my original post... A car and a knife have primary functions (in modern society) not related to killing, therefore they are useful, if not necessities. A gun on the other hand is made to kill, which is not something we need to do in our day to day lives.
Blue_Tiger at 10:45 PM JST - 16th March

Au Contraire, MrOzD: Guns in the hands of citizenry are the counter to dictatorial governments. Guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens are the teeth of the Constitution of any country.
likeitis at 11:17 PM JST - 16th March

OhioDonna: They will find a way to get gun even with the most stringent laws.

Which of course fails to explain why countries with actual gun controls have fewer gun murders. Notice that I did say country. You cannot gun control a place like D.C. and expect gun murders to go away. Its like an island smack in the middle of a sea of guns.
likeitis at 08:58 AM JST - 17th March

Guns in the hands of citizenry are the counter to dictatorial governments.

Nothing like have a semi-auto rifle when faced with mines, grenades, automatic weapons, helicopter gunships, napalm, satellite surveillance, Gen2 night vision scopes mounted on high power sniper rifles, tanks, and highly trained military. Ah, heck, just give me a shotgun!

Why, so armed, you might do as well as the Branch Davidians, or the Ruby Ridgites, or the Warsaw Ghettoans, and manage to kill a few before you get obliterated.

Guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens are the teeth of the Constitution of any country.

I think they might be more like a grease for the wheels of the martyrdom train.

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Your posts should focus on the shooting rampage in Germany. Posts that do not will be removed.