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The Mercedes-Benz plant in Germany's Sindelfingen was the site of a shooting incident on Thursday that eventually led to the death of two persons who succumbed to their injuries. Production at the plant, home to the S-Class sedan and the EQS electric vehicle, has been suspended till the end of the week.
According to reports in the German press, a 53-year-old person allegedly entered the premises and began firing indiscriminately before being taken down by security workers here. The accused was then handed over to local police officials. But unfortunately by then, two persons who had been severely injured succumbed to their wounds. Most other employees here had had to be evacuated once the breach in security was first detected.
It is further reported that both the suspect as well as the two victims were not regular workers at the facility but were employees of an external service provider. In all, the factory has a total workforce of around 35,000 people and is one of the biggest plants for Mercedes anywhere in the world. And although the facility is extremely well-secured and has a controlled entry and exit point, it is not clear how the suspect managed to get in with a firearm. The motive of the suspect has also not been established as yet.
Mercedes has issued a statement in which it has expressed its condolences to the family of the victims as well as all other employees at the facility. "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Sindelfingen this morning. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues on site," the company statement read. But the unfortunate incident has ignited a larger debate in the country around gun-control laws. German rules makes it mandatory for anyone under 25 to submit to a psychological evaluation before getting a gun license. And everyone with a license is assessed every five years to study if he or she has a justifiable requirement to be in possession of a firearm.