Police found a man’s body after hours of searching for an armed man in Altdorf near Nuremberg. The Middle Franconia police headquarters announced on the X platform that there was no longer an immediate threat. The background was initially shocking.
The fire alarm first sounded in the afternoon in the south of the Central Franconian municipality. A building caught fire and a forest nearby also caught fire. When the fire brigade arrived to put out the fire, a man threatened the helpers with a gun.
The police arrived with a large contingent, including special units. Officers cordoned off the surrounding area as well as the highway, and residents reported hearing gunfire – but presumably the gunman did not fire. “This happened because the SEK shot open the doors so they could search them,” a police spokesman later said. “During a search of a garden house, in which an 88-year-old man lived with his 82-year-old wife, a body was found burned beyond recognition.” It is assumed that this is “the man who had previously threatened the forces of the fire brigade.”
It was initially uncertain whether the dead man was the 88-year-old resident of the home, as well as what had happened to his wife. “We don’t know where the woman is either,” a police spokesman said. It was initially unclear for hours where the gunman might be.
Police are searching for a man who is said to be carrying weapons. (Photo: Pia Bayer/dpa)
During the search, police also cordoned off the nearby forest and used a helicopter to try to locate the man from the air. After refueling the helicopter, investigators picked up a fire department drone. The police and fire department initially wanted to discuss whether the fire in the building should finally be extinguished or whether forensics should go inside.
According to a police spokesperson, this was not expected immediately in the evening. “It will definitely take a few more hours to fully reach the fire site,” a spokesperson for police headquarters said.