Gunman Drives Vehicle Into German Hamburg Airport Tarmac; All Flights Canceled (Update)
by Stefan Bos, Worthy News Correspondent
HAMBURG, GERMANY (Worthy News) – Germany’s major Hamburg Airport canceled all flights late Saturday as the authorities responded to an armed man who drove his car onto the tarmac, parked near a plane, and fired at least one shot, officials said.
No injuries have been reported, but all flights were reportedly canceled at the airport. The police said they were trying to contact the driver of the vehicle, who they said was accompanied by a child passenger, adding that they believed there was a “custody dispute.”
Media said two small fires were observed on the tarmac, but authorities still tried to determine if the man set them.
The fact that the man could reach the tarmac added to security concerns at a time when much of Europe is already on heightened alert for possible terror attacks as the Israel-Hamas war escalates.
Special German forces rushed to the scene after the vehicle entered the airport on Saturday evening at about 20:00 local time, witnesses observed.
The suspect’s wife was reported to have alleged a possible child abduction. In published remarks, police said they believed “that a custody dispute is a background to this operation.”
Police noticed that the suspect shot his weapon twice in the air and threw burning bottles from the vehicle, likely explaining the fires nearby.
He drove his car to the airport’s apron, the area where aircraft are usually parked. “We are on-site with a large contingent of emergency services. We are currently assuming a static hostage situation,” Hamburg police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Psychologists, as well as officers specialized in negotiations, were on site, police said, adding that they were in contact with the individual in the vehicle.
All departures and arrivals at the airport in the northern German city have been halted, according to officials. A spokesperson for the airport said 27 flights had been affected.
The incident shocked Hamburg, the largest non-capital city within the European Union, with a population of nearly 2 million people.
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