2 Dead After Car Drives Into Crowd In Germany

By Jacob Pinter

Published April 7, 2018 at 11:59 AM EDT

A police officer stands near the scene where a car crashed into a group of people in Muenster, Germany, leaving two dead, before killing himself.

Updated at 8:38 p.m. ET

German police say two people died and about 20 others were injured when a person drove a van into a crowd on Saturday.

The crash happened in Muenster, a western city of about 300,000 people. NPR's Esme Nicholson says the incident was in the city's historic center.

The driver shot himself after driving into the crowd, Der Spiegel reports.

Police say they're investigating witness reports that other people may have fled from the van after the incident, The Associated Press reports.

Large parts of the city center were sealed off after the attack, and police asked people to stay away from the area. Police made the closures because they were investigating a suspicious object found in the van, the AP reports.

Authorities said of the 20 injured people, six are in severe condition, according to the AP.

"All of Muenster is mourning this horrible incident," said the city's mayor, Markus Lewe. "Our sympathy is with the relatives of those who were killed."

The van hit a crowd of people outside the popular bar Kiepenkerl. Photos on social media showed police responding at a crowded outdoor plaza filled with tables and chairs.

This is a developing story. Some things that get reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.