German teenager gunned down by 81-year-old neighbour

A 16-year-old died of his injuries on Wednesday evening after being shot by his neighbour in Bramsche near the western German city of Osnabrück, a spokesman for the local public prosecutor's office said on Thursday, reported dpa.

The teenager was injured by shots fired by an 81-year-old neighbour on Tuesday morning. Officials issued an arrest warrant for murder and attempted manslaughter on Thursday.

The crime took place in front of the home of the victim and the suspect, opposite a primary school. The suspected perpetrator initially fired shots at the 16-year-old.

As the public prosecutor's office announced on Thursday, he then fired towards the teenager's mother, who came out onto the street after hearing the shots.

The man then inflicted life-threatening injuries on himself, though he is no longer in danger.

Once the suspect has recovered sufficiently, he is be transferred to a prison hospital, the spokesman said.

The man was a sports shooter and the weapon was a "typical sport shooter weapon," the spokesman said. It was a small-calibre pistol.

The background of the crime was initially unclear, he said. There had probably been discord between the neihbours but it was unclear whether this was the motive for the crime.

A post-mortem examination of the body at the forensic medicine department in Oldenburg is due to be carried out soon.