Germany school alert: Police confirm reports of 'gunman on loose' in Menden were false alarm
Armed police deployed to town as children locked in classrooms during alert
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A false alarm has caused a German school to be put on lockdown amid fears of an armed man on the loose.
Children were instructed to lock themselves in classrooms as large numbers of armed police and helicopters arrived on the scene in Menden on Wednesday.
Police said no one had been injured in the incident and investigations were still underway into the source of the alert at the Hönne-Berufskolleg.
The local government in Arnsberg confirmed the incident was a false alarm and thanked the emergency services for their swift response.
A spokesperson previously urged people to follow security services' instructions over reports of an attacker.
Germany has seen a number of shootings at schools, including a 17-year-old student's murder of 15 people in Winnenden in 2009.
The country also remains on high alert following a wave of Isis-inspired terror attacks, prompting a nationwide crackdown on extremism.
A 35-year-old Russian citizen was arrested in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, on allegations of financially supporting Isis and drug dealing on Tuesday, while two men from Nigeria and Algeria are to be deported because of terror links.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments