Gun attack school aims to get back to normal

Parents and pupils in Erfurt say they are keen to get back to normal at the school where 16 people were shot.

They say they don't want to turn the building into a memorial.

Officials say classes will be cancelled for at least a week and students will receive counseling at the city hall.

The building is sealed as police secure clues to Friday's attack by Robert Steinhaeuser.

Erfurt Mayor Manfred Ruge says parents, teachers and students have agreed to clean up and re-open the building as soon as possible and want to make a new beginning.

One teenage pupil, Michaela Seidel, says they will be scarred for a long time.

She said: "It will take years to get over this. At this time, none of us understands anything."

Students have argued against putting a memorial outside the school, where flowers have piled up on the front steps over the weekend.

"Our school is our school. We don't want a huge plaque in front of it that reminds us of what happened every time we pass by," said Michaela, who left the building 10 minutes before the shooting began after finishing a final exam in maths.

A steady flow of tearful mourners maintained a nighttime vigil outside the Johann Gutenberg Gymnasium school.