Report on Winnenden shooting recommends changes in schools

A panel of experts has released a report on the March shooting spree in the south-western German town of Winnenden, making more than 80 recommendations on how to prevent a similar incident in the future.

Included among the recommendations are increasing psychological support services in schools, installing alarm systems and renovating classroom doors to prevent them from being opened from the outside.

Another preventative measure would be to raise the age for recreational shooting of high-caliber weapons from 18 to 21.

Guenther Oettinger, center, was visibly moved when he visited the site of the shooting

"We must do all that is humanly possible to reduce the risk of school shootings in the future," said Guenther Oettinger, state premier of Baden-Wuerttemberg in response to the report.

Media plays a role

While the state government's goal is to implement as many of the recommendations as possible by November, Oettinger said he would have to take into consideration the financial limitations of the state budget. The report estimates the door renovations alone would cost 30 million euros.

In addition to the recommendations, the report also criticized the media coverage of the event as sensationalist, saying it could inspire copycat crimes.

The shooting took place last March, when 17-year old Tim K. opened fire at a high school in Winnenden, a town near the south-western city of Stuttgart. He fled the scene and was eventually shot and wounded by police before killing himself.

acb/mz/AP/AFP
Editor: Michael Lawton