Major operation in Aachen – 65-year-old in hospital suffered gunshot wounds

During the operation it was announced that the woman’s apartment in Eschweiler had burned down on Monday afternoon. She is suspected of starting the fire herself. Police headquarters in Cologne reported a corresponding letter on Tuesday morning. Details about the background were initially unknown.

“The 65-year-old is said to have entered the Luisen Hospital around 5 p.m. with a weapon that later turned out to be a blank pistol, a noticeably large belt and another, as yet unknown, object and threatened employees of the physiotherapy practice. ‘, the police report said. After an employee took the weapon away from her, she allegedly retreated to a patient room, lit a pyrotechnic object and threw it into the hallway.

Police officers had to draw firearms
When she left the room at 10:38 PM and tried to burn an object in the hallway, the police officers pulled out their firearms to put an end to the dangerous situation. The woman was seriously injured and received medical treatment. Details about the nature of the injuries were not initially provided. According to initial information, no other people were injured.

The belt looked like explosive belts
The reason for the bloody ’emergency access’: the 65-year-old’s noticeably large belt looked like an explosives belt to the police. She also had “a suspicious object” in her hand and headed towards the emergency services. Because the woman did not respond to being spoken to, a firearm was used. Only later were specialists from the State Criminal Investigation Department able to clarify that the belt was a dummy.

A fire in the Luisen Hospital was reported to the Aachen fire brigade on Monday afternoon. Only late in the evening did the city of Aachen report that the fire in the bed area of ​​the hospital had been extinguished.

There were almost 400 people present. The emergency pastoral care was represented by eleven people. 73 affected people from the Luisen Hospital were treated. “Four people from intensive care need to be transported to other hospitals,” the city said. 270 patients could have remained in hospital. In the hours before the entrance, it could be seen how the clinic’s activities continued, at least partially, behind the wrought iron bars of the extensively cordoned-off clinic.

The entire hospital area was evacuated
The hospital section in the immediate vicinity of the woman was immediately evacuated. Patients and staff were brought to safety, Aachen police spokesman Andreas Müller reported. A heavily armed special operations team was deployed and a helicopter occasionally circled above the hospital. There was repeated speculation about a possible hostage situation, but the police had not confirmed this.

Road and rail traffic was restricted
During the operation, which lasted several hours, there were also restrictions on road and rail traffic. As a precaution, part of the railway line in the west of the city was closed and trains were waiting at stations.

The hospital, located on the edge of the center, is run by a Protestant association. According to the company’s own information, patients with a wide variety of diseases are treated in 15 clinics. One of the open questions is whether the woman specifically chose the hospital.

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