Two people were killed by gunshots in a grocery store in Treysa, North Hesse, in the Schwalm-Eder district on Tuesday afternoon.

The police were on site within a few minutes with numerous forces and cordoned off the area around the discounter over a large area.

The background to the act of violence was initially unclear.

However, there are indications that it could be a private motive.

As several witnesses unanimously reported, the shooter followed a woman into the market shortly after 1 p.m.

There he finally shot her before turning the gun on himself.

According to current knowledge, a third person was not involved. 

The shooter is said to be a 58-year-old man, the woman was 53, according to police.

The police are not providing any information about the relationship between them. 

The “Hessische Niedersächsische Allgemeine” (HNA) had previously reported, citing a witness, that the man had initially followed a woman in an Aldi branch.

She then called out for help, but was then shot by her pursuer.

According to the witness, many customers did not initially realize what had happened, it sounded like a glass had broken. 

The police initially did not want to confirm that it was a possible relationship act.

However, she said there was "no danger to the population".

State parliament in Wiesbaden interrupts session

The course of events is now to be reconstructed primarily through witness statements and video recordings from the market.

The securing of evidence is expected to continue until late in the evening, maybe even into the night.

A support center has been set up for witnesses and those affected, the police wrote on Twitter.

The Hessian state parliament president Astrid Wallmann (CDU) reacted to the news during a state parliament session and thanked the emergency services in Schwalmstadt.

Wallmann expressed heartfelt condolences to the relatives on behalf of the state parliament.

She informed the MPs between two speeches in the plenary debate that followed the government statement by Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU).

For several decades, Treysa has been the largest district of Schwalmstadt, which is about 40 minutes by car east of Marburg.

About 18,000 people live in the city.