5 dead, several wounded in shooting at youth center in northern Germany

A shooting in a small town in northern Germany left five people dead and several others wounded Sunday local time, local police said.

The shooting took place at a youth welfare center in Stade, near Hamburg, killing five adults and injuring a number of others, according to foreign media including the British daily The Guardian.

Police said they had arrested two suspects in connection with the incident, including the alleged shooter, and that an investigation into the background and exact circumstances of the attack was underway.

Local media reported that the site of the shooting included a facility supporting vulnerable women with young children, though specific details had yet to be confirmed.

A large-scale police operation was conducted near the scene. Authorities said there was no immediate danger to the general public. The identities of the victims were not immediately released.

Stade is a city of fewer than 50,000 people located about 40 kilometers from Hamburg.