The motive of the attacker who shot two 44-year-olds this morning at a Mercedes plant near Stuttgart. There were rumors among employees of a quarrel over elections in Turkey, but neither the company nor the police confirmed this.

According to the Stuttgarter Zeitung, neither the perpetrator nor the two victims are employees of Mercedes, but are employees of partner logistics company Rhenus Automotive. The 53-year-old perpetrator was immobilized by factory security and a strong police force, rescuers and two helicopters arrived on the scene. One of the victims died on the spot, the second died soon after.

According to the publication, there is a rumor among employees that the incident followed a brawl over elections in Turkey, but neither the police nor the company confirm this. “We ask for your understanding that we do not comment on the development of events and possible motives, as internal investigations are ongoing. We also do not engage in speculation.” Mercedes said in a statement.

The auto industry, which employs more than 35,000 people in the region, also announced that it is looking into improving safety at its facilities, where hundreds of trucks from other companies are said to arrive daily. “The security protocol is constantly being reviewed,” the company said, but thoroughly checking for weapons or other dangerous items, as is done at airports, will be a particularly difficult process.

Source: APE/MEB