Student attack: Pepper spray causes panic at Falkensee high school!

Student attack: Pepper spray causes panic at Falkensee high school!

There was a worrying incident at the Falkensee high school on Poetenstrasse on Tuesday morning in which a 14-year-old student sprayed pepper spray in the stairwell. This incident occurred during court recess when numerous students were returning to the building. In total, around 40 students complained of breathing and eye irritation, which required rapid intervention by the fire department.

The fire department was alerted at 11 a.m. with the keyword “mass casualty incident.” Several ambulances and the “Christoph 31” rescue helicopter were deployed to ensure the safety of the students. Thanks to the coordinated operation, the emergency services were able to evacuate the school building with breathing apparatus. Three students had to be treated in hospital due to respiratory problems. The student's motive is still unclear and the police have filed a criminal complaint for grievous bodily harm. The investigation is being conducted by the criminal police, who are currently interviewing witnesses and those involved.

Increase in irritant gas incidents in Berlin

The incident in Falkensee joins a worrying development in Berlin, which has seen an increase in irritant gas incidents in recent months. In the period from January 1st to April 30th, 2025, the police registered a total of 589 incidents involving irritant gas, an increase compared to 542 cases in the same period last year. It is often men who get involved in disputes using pepper spray or other irritating gases. In an incident in May 2024, for example, 14 people were injured by pepper spray in a shopping center, while another concert by rapper Samra in Neukölln's Gropius-Passagen resulted in 18 injuries.

Irritant gas is particularly dangerous and can cause serious health reactions, especially in older citizens or young people with unknown health histories. The risks depend largely on the dose and individual sensitivity. In order to curb these incidents, three weapon and knife ban zones have already been set up in Berlin, in which the carrying of irritants is prohibited.

The observed increase in incidents involving irritant gas shows that the issue is becoming increasingly prevalent. bz-berlin reports that the police not only react in such situations, but also want to keep an overview of the situation preventatively. It remains to be seen what measures will be taken to increase security at schools and public events.

Together with experts, we are trying to find ways to strengthen the responsibility of those who carelessly use such dangerous substances. The incident in Falkensee is an alarming example of how quickly a harmless situation can turn into danger. The police rbb24 and other supervisory authorities must urgently recognize the need for action here.

The matter remains exciting, and the school community and the police are pulling out all the stops to better prevent such incidents in the future.

For further information and background information on this emerging problem, please see the publication Daily Mirror the current developments are comprehensively summarized.