The suspected gunman was a 45-year-old Turkish national born in Germany and living in Hanover, Lueneburg police chief Kathrin Schuol said.
He had an appointment at the centre on Monday “with many of the victims” to discuss the custody of his daughter, Schuol added.
She said he was known to police “in relation to threats” but had not been considered “as a particularly violent individual”. He did not have a firearms licence.
The suspect initially fled the scene in a car driven by a woman, Schuol said.
One eyewitness told news outlet Focus Online that police shouted “stop where you are” at the man and woman and then fired repeatedly at the vehicle.
Footage published by Bild newspaper showed police at a roadblock on a nearby country road stopping a Mercedes with a blown-out tyre.
Armed officers are seen in the clip telling the occupants to get out and detaining them as they lie face down in the road.
(It seems the suspect’s child and her mother were in the building but weren’t harmed.)
Custody dispute. From the article:
(It seems the suspect’s child and her mother were in the building but weren’t harmed.)