Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Questions raised over officials’ dealings with German driver

Questions raised over officials' dealings with German driver | iNFOnews.ca
Flowers sit at a fountain with a Kiepenkerl, a traditional merchant from the Muensterland region, outside the restaurant Kiepenkerl in Muenster, western Germany, Monday, April 9, 2018, two days after a man drove a van into people sitting outside killing two and injuring several others before killing himself. (Guido Kirchner/dpa via AP)

BERLIN – Questions are being raised over the dealings German officials had with a man who plowed his van into a crowd Saturday, killing two and injuring dozens more.

Muenster Mayor Markus Lewe said Tuesday authorities had “no indications” the 48-year-old posed an acute threat to himself or others.

German media report that Jens Ruether sought psychological help in the weeks before he crashed into the terrace of Muenster’s Kiepenkerl pub, then shot himself.

Germany’s Bild newspaper reports that Muenster police tried to find Ruether after he sent a March 29 email to an acquaintance indicating possible plans for self-harm.

Bild reports Ruether sought social services’ help that day. He appeared at a Berlin police station a week later to file a complaint, but officials weren’t aware Muenster authorities were seeking him.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

iNFOTEL

Related Articles