WINNENDEN, Germany — German police worked with U.S. authorities Friday to determine whether they had fallen victim to an Internet hoax as they investigate a school shooting in southern Germany in which 15 people died.
Tim Kretschmer, 17, gunned down students at his former high school in Winnenden on Wednesday before fleeing on foot and by car, killing three more people, and turning a pistol on himself.
Investigators said Thursday that Kretschmer had posted his intentions in an Internet chat room only hours beforehand, but they now say they have serious doubts about the authenticity of the posting.
A police spokeswoman said investigators were working with officials in the United States, where the servers that host the German-language website are located.
