Police officers have rushed to a high school in Germany after several people were injured in a potential shooting attack.
More than 15 patrol cars were called to the Welfen-Gymnasium in Schongau, Upper Bavaria, this afternoon, where a suspected perpetrator was arrested by officers at the scene just southwest of Munich.
The alarm was raised to emergency services at around 12.50pm local time (11.50am BST), having took place during school hours.
A police spokesman told local media: "We cannot rule out the possibility of a school shooting."
According to local media, several victims suffered stab wounds, with the exact circumstances still unclear.
The incident is said to have taken place partly on school grounds and partly in the immediate vicinity of the high school.
The suspected attacker initially fled, according to reports, but was apprehended by officers with assistance from a police helicopter deployed during the search.
Security sources at the premises initially reported four injuries, although the exact number of victims has not yet been confirmed.
A suspected perpetrator has been arrested by officers at the scene just southwest of Munich | GOOGLEAccording to a police spokesman, it is still unclear whether the injured are students, staff, public, or a a mix.
Officers urged people to avoid the area, with a support center for relatives and parents of students set up at the nearby fire station on Bahnhofstrasse.
Schongau is a small town on the banks of the Lech River in western Upper Bavaria, with more than 12,000 residents.
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In a post on X, the local police force said: "A suspected perpetrator has been arrested.
"The number of people involved and the severity of the injuries are currently being clarified."
"A major police operation is underway", they had warned in an earlier post, "we are on site with numerous forces."
Mass shootings are rare in Germany, especially when compared to the United States.
Last year, a 17-year-old seriously wounded a 45-year-old teacher at a vocational college in the western city of Essen and was shot by police before his arrest.
In 2002, a 19-year-old gunman killed 16 people, including 12 teachers and two pupils, at a school in the eastern city of Erfurt.