Despite having some stringent gun laws in place, Germany recently woke up to an act of gun violence. The place that suffered from the tragic incident is the Mercedes Benz factory in Sindelfingen. The factory was founded in 1915 and employs 35,000 employees. That goes on to show that the incident could have taken a catastrophic turn, but thanks to the security apparatus in place, the damage was contained.

Such shooting incidents are rare in Germany, but the cases have picked up lately. Before Thursday’s incident in Sindelfingen, a gunman killed 6 people and an unborn child at a Jehovah’s Witnesses center just two months back. The shootout at the Mercedes Benz factory killed one person instantly, while the other victim lost his life later in the hospital.

Mercedes Benz CEO visits the Sindelfingen factory to pay tributes to the victims

In a statement, Mercedes Benz said that they suspended operations in the affected area of the factory until the end of the week. The rest of the factory that produces the E-Class and the S-Class sedans would remain functional.

The police, in a statement, as quoted by CNN Business, reported that the shooter “entered the factory hall and shot at two people. Security guards seized the suspect and handed him over to police, who encountered no resistance as they arrested him.” 

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“The factory hall was evacuated and workers are currently being cared for by police and the company’s support staff.”

An external service provider employed the perpetrator, a 53-year-old, as per the automaker.

The company’s CEO, Ola Kallenius, recently visited the factory to pay tributes to the victims and their families. He said, “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and all colleagues at the scene.” [Translated using Google]

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The country brought in place a new Weapons Act in 2003. That was after 16 people died in a school shooting that same year. As per the new law, citizens require a weapons possession card to own or buy a gun. To carry a loaded gun, they need a separate weapons license.

When Lewis Hamilton spoke against gun violence against a black teenager in America

Andrew Lester, 84, allegedly shot a black teenager, Ralph Yarl, on his doorstep. Yarl, a sixteen-year-old, was there to pick up his younger siblings but knocked on the wrong door. Ralph narrated the incident to the authorities in the hospital while his family was told by the doctors that the boy was lucky to survive two gunshot wounds. Lester pleaded not guilty in court, citing that he believed the victim to be a threat. He never denied shooting him, though.

The incident caused a massive uproar in the entire country with many black artists, sportspersons, and celebrities demanding justice for the 16-year-old musician. Lewis Hamilton joined them as well as he shared Viola Davis’ Instagram post and wrote, “Ralf Yarl is just a kid and was shot for making a simple mistake. Thank God he’s alive.”

He added, “There needs to be justice!!”

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It is high time governments formulate laws to make sure weapons do not reach the hands of unstable people. Otherwise, incidents like the one in Sindelfingen and Ralph Yarl will continue to make headlines.