Around 20 individuals have been injured in an assault at a vocational college this morning, prompting emergency services to respond swiftly to the scene. The incident, involving the use of pepper spray, occurred at Humboldtstraße vocational college in Perlengraben, Cologne, Germany, around 10 am local time. Authorities believe that multiple individuals were responsible for deploying the pepper spray.
Initially, it was reported that six individuals were injured, but the number of victims has significantly increased according to updates from German officials. Victims experienced sudden respiratory and eye irritation, with some requiring hospitalization. Both teachers and students were affected by the attack, and authorities are currently searching for several suspects. Reports indicate that 50 students and teachers from two classes were involved, leading to the deployment of 44 emergency personnel and 20 vehicles from the fire department and ambulance service.
A spokesperson for Polizei Köln stated, “According to initial witness accounts, multiple unidentified individuals sprayed pepper spray in the school hallways around 10 am and then fled the scene.” Emergency services have since left the college, and the police are seeking information from the public regarding the incident.
This marks the second occurrence of pepper spray being used at a college within a month, following a similar incident at the European School in Cologne-Zollstock on November 19. In that incident, a teenager allegedly attacked another individual with pepper spray, prompting a self-defense response with pepper spray. Consequently, nine children required hospital treatment, and their families received support from specialized teams from the police and fire department.
Authorities have identified a 15-year-old, who is not a student at the school, as one of the individuals involved in the altercation. The 15-year-old is accused of assaulting a 16-year-old student with pepper spray, leading to a self-defense reaction from the 16-year-old. Police are actively investigating the actions of the 15-year-old and are searching for another teenager who was reportedly present during the incident.