Sabine Radmacher

Case identification

Sabine Radmacher

Status

Sabine Radmacher was fatally shot by special police units the same day.

Background

In March 2009 a similar gun rampage had occurred in nearby Winnenden. Teenage gunman Tim Kretschmer killed 15 people and eventually himself at his former school in Winnenden, Stuttgart. The incident triggered off a debate in Germany on tougher gun ownership laws.

In addition, on 16 September 2010—only two days before the latest rampage—the boy’s father had to appear in court on a charge of failure to securely store his gun.

The authorities identified Sabine Radmacher as a 41-year-old lawyer. Investigators established that she had killed her former common-law husband and their 5-year-old son in a nearby apartment block. She was described as a sporting markswoman and a recreational shooter. Police said they found over 100 rounds of ammunition at the hospital.

The authorities also said that Sabine Radmacher had suffered a miscarriage in 2004.

The offence

Killing of family members in a nearby apartment block

Sabine Radmacher smothered her 5-year-old son with a plastic bag after first knocking the boy unconscious. She then killed her ex-partner, her former common-law husband, in a nearby apartment block. Autopsy results showed that the ex-partner died from two gunshot wounds, one to the head and the other to the neck.

Investigators told news agency DPA that both father and son were found lying side by side on a bed. Police reported that the son was also dead beforehand, but authorities could not say how he had been killed. Police said the child had no gunshot wounds but there were signs of brute force, and the exact cause of death had yet to be determined in an autopsy.

After she killed her ex-partner and son, she apparently caused an explosion in their apartment.

Hospital rampage at St. Elisabethen Hospital

The hospital rampage took place at around 18:00 local time at the Catholic St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Lörrach, near the Swiss and French borders.

Sabine Radmacher, a 41-year-old armed lawyer, entered the gynaecology ward. She stabbed and shot a male nurse, killing him instantly.

At the hospital, a police officer who happened to be at the hospital was also shot. The police officer left in a critical condition.

Sabine Radmacher also shot and stabbed one male nurse: police reported she shot the orderly three times in the head and neck and stabbed him in the upper body several times. She attacked arriving officers before she was shot and killed.

Police exchanged fire with the gunwoman and she was fatally shot.

Police said the incident lasted 40 minutes from the explosion to the last shot fired.

Investigation

Police were investigating a possible child custody dispute as the motive behind a bloody rampage that left four people dead.

The authorities said the woman likely went on the rampage following a relationship dispute. She apparently set off an explosion at an apartment building where her ex and their son lived in Lörrach.

Lörrach state prosecutor Dieter Inhofer said: "It is suspected that relationship problems sparked this," adding that there was no outstanding legal proceedings between the two parents over custody of their son.

Uwe Schlosser, chief prosecutor from state capital Stuttgart, said: "The child has no gunshot wounds but there are signs of brute force. But the exact cause of death has yet to be determined in an autopsy."

Investigators told news agency DPA that the father and son were found lying side by side on a bed.

Authorities believed the explosion was started with some kind of fuel after finding a canister.

After leaving the apartment, Sabine Radmacher used a small-calibre pistol to shoot at two people. One was hit in the back, while the other suffered a grazing shot to the head.

Police said they believed that it was a random encounter when Sabine Radmacher went to the hospital.

Police in the southwestern German town announced that post-mortem results revealed she suffocated her five-year-old son with a plastic bag and that police halted her deadly rampage by shooting her 17 times.

Arrest

There was no separate arrest; Sabine Radmacher was killed in a shoot-out with police when officers exchanged fire with her at the hospital.

Trial

No trial proceedings for Sabine Radmacher were stated.

Sentencing

No sentencing was stated.

Appeals

No appeals were stated.

Outcome

Sabine Radmacher was fatally shot by special police units the same day at the hospital.

The father of her child died from two gunshot wounds, one to the head and the other to the neck.

The nurse was killed: police reported she killed a male nurse by shooting and stabbing.

Aftermath

Investigators and emergency services carried out a response in the area around the hospital.

Many of those involved in the operation, as well as patients in the hospital, were receiving counselling.

The fire brigade evacuated seven people from the blazing apartment block and a further 12 from an adjacent building. In total, 17 people received with light injuries.

In total, 18 people were injured during the rampage, including those hurt in the explosion in the apartment building.

Authorities said it remained unclear why the woman went to the hospital, but pointed out that she had suffered a miscarriage there in 2004.

"There is no immediate explanation as to motive," was noted in relation to the incident.

What precisely triggered Sabine Radmacher’s rampage was described as still not clear. Some media reported she had argued with her ex-partner, possibly about custody of their son.

Colleagues and people who knew her said Sabine Radmacher had become increasingly distressed and embittered.

Other details

Sabine Radmacher used a cal. 22 sporting gun.

A police spokesman said: "We believe that it was a random encounter,".

Wolf Hammann, head of Baden-Württemberg's state police, said: "Thanks to their courageous intervention the police officers on duty kept it from being much worse,".

The incident occurred in Lörrach, a town close to the Swiss and French borders. Lörrach was described as a city of 48,000 people.

The 220-bed Catholic hospital had a centre for children, a specialist gynaecological unit, an intensive care station for premature babies, and a psychiatric unit for troubled youngsters.