Covid 19 coronavirus: German father kills family after faking vaccine pass

Warning: This article discusses suicide and could be distressing for some people.

German investigators said Tuesday that a man suspected of killing his family and then himself left a note indicating that he was afraid of being arrested after procuring a fake vaccination certificate for his wife.

The bodies of two 40-year-olds and their children aged 10, 8 and 4 were found with gunshot wounds at their home in Koenigs Wusterhausen, just outside Berlin, on Saturday.

Prosecutor Gernot Bantleon told news agency dpa that the man said in the note, which was found at the house, that he had had a vaccination certificate forged for his wife and her employer had found out.

The man's wife worked for a local university.

The note revealed that the couple were afraid that they might be arrested and their children taken away. Bantleon wouldn't give further details.

Investigators suspect that the man killed his wife and children and then himself. They found a gun in the house, but it wasn't immediately clear whether it was the weapon used to fire the fatal shots. They found no indication that anyone else was present at the time or that anyone forced their way into the house.

Authorities revealed they discovered the grisly scene after neighbours glimpsed the carnage through the windows.

At least 69.1% of Germans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, short of the government's aim of a minimum 75% vaccination rate. The number of unvaccinated has been blamed as a key factor in a surge of new virus cases in recent weeks.

Official figures suggest that the infection rate may have levelled out or be decreasing slightly, but new infections are still too high and Germany is seeing more deaths.

German federal and state leaders last week announced tough new restrictions that largely target unvaccinated people. In a longer-term move, parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate. Detailed plans for that mandate haven't yet been drawn up.

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- Associated Press, additional reporting from NZ Herald