Attacker wounds 9 students at German school

An 18-year-old student armed with an ax and knives lobbed Molotov cocktails at his high school in southern Germany on Thursday, wounding nine pupils before he was shot and arrested by police. The teenager entered the Carolinum High School in the Bavarian town of Ansbach on Thursday morning and threw one Molotov cocktail before police were alerted and arrived at the scene, said Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann.

Police smelled smoke when they arrived at the school, Hermann said. They were confronted by the ax-wielding teen, who had thrown a second Molotov cocktail that apparently failed to detonate. "Since the attacker threatened to use his weapons against the police, the officers opened fire," Hermann said, adding that the attacker, who was not identified, was wounded and in critical condition.

Udo Dreher, the chief police officer at the scene, said the18 year old was shot five times, but was not in life threatening condition. Two teenage girls were seriously injured by the attacker — one suffering burns and the other head injuries, said Dreher. It was not immediately clear whether the second girl was attacked with the ax or a knife. Authorities did not say how the other seven wounded students had been attacked.