A 16-year-old boy was taken into custody on Wednesday after two schoolgirls were seriously injured in an attack at the Welfen-Gymnasium, a secondary school in the small Bavarian town of Schongau, according to local police. The emergency call was received shortly after 12:50 p.m. local time, and officers were able to apprehend the suspect “relatively quickly,” a police spokesman said. British media reported that the two injured girls were 13 years old; both were transported to hospital and are not in life-threatening condition.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was arrested at the scene. It remains unclear whether he was a student at the school. The two victims are pupils at the gymnasium, German authorities confirmed. A large-scale police operation was mounted, with more than 15 patrol cars and six rescue helicopters deployed to the site. A family assistance centre was established at a nearby fire station.

Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the weapon used. Initial police statements, as carried by Italian and international media, declined to specify the type of weapon. Later, Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said the suspect was armed with both a knife and a firearm, though the German news agency dpa reported that no firearm had been found at the scene, only ammunition. Some Italian outlets initially described the incident as a shooting, while German authorities have consistently used the term “Amoklauf” — a rampage — to characterise the event. The total number of injured beyond the two girls has not been confirmed; police spokespeople have referred only to a “single-digit” figure.

Schongau is a town of roughly 12,000 to 13,000 residents in western Upper Bavaria. The Welfen-Gymnasium, founded in 1887, serves around 800 students and was historically a girls’ school before becoming co-educational four decades ago. The school is situated near the old town, adjacent to other educational institutions. No motive for the attack has been disclosed by authorities.

Police have stated they believe the suspect acted alone, and there are no credible indications of a second perpetrator. The investigation is ongoing, and the area around the school remains cordoned off. The suspect is in custody, and authorities have urged the public to avoid the vicinity while forensic work continues.