In Göttingen's city center on Saturday evening, a police officer was shot and seriously injured while thousands of people were celebrating the "Night of Cultures" city festival. Police are searching for a fleeing suspect with a large deployment and a helicopter; the background of the clash between two groups remains unclear.
Göttingen, 14 June 2026
In Göttingen city center on Saturday evening at around 10:15 p.m., a police officer was shot and seriously injured while thousands of people were celebrating the "Night of Cultures" nearby.
According to police, "there had been a clash between two groups, then shots were fired." Immediately afterward, "a person fled the scene." It was initially not known how many shots were fired; police stated that "it was not said to have been a blank-firing weapon."
The injured officer was taken to a hospital for treatment. As police in the Lower Saxon city announced after the incident, "the officer was taken to a hospital for treatment." The following morning, it was said: "The shot officer is now in a stable condition."
Police were deployed in large numbers, according to their own statements, "to search for the perpetrator." Numerous officers searched for the fleeing person through the night, "a helicopter was also deployed." The search continued into Sunday morning.
A police spokesperson reported a "dynamic situation." Officers advised citizens to avoid the scene. At the same time, police stressed that "there had been no danger to visitors to the city festival at any point."
At the time of the attack, thousands of people were celebrating the "Night of Cultures" in Göttingen city center. A helicopter circling above the city was part of the search efforts.
Police said they had "already received numerous tips during the night." In addition, videos from social networks were being evaluated to reconstruct the sequence of events and possible participants.
The background to the dispute was still unclear the morning after the incident. It remained initially open how the confrontation between the two groups came about and what role the individual participants played.
Investigators continued to examine evidence and witness statements on Sunday morning. Göttingen police announced they would provide updates on the manhunt and any further findings throughout the day.
This report was broadcast on 14.06.2026 on Deutschlandfunk. Göttingen is a university city in Lower Saxony with around 120,000 inhabitants; the "Night of Cultures" is an annual city festival.
