Shooting Of Suffolk Based Airmen

3 March 2011, 16:55 | Updated: 9 March 2011, 17:13

Heart's being told two Airmen based in Suffolk who were shot and wounded yesterday in Germany are seriously ill in hospital.

Two men were killed, one of them also from Lakenheath, when a gunman opened fire on a bus they were on at Frankfurt airport.

One of the Airmen killed in yesterday’s shooting was a vehicle operator stationed at Ramstein Air Base, while the other Airman killed was part of a Security Forces team stationed at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

The two injured Airmen are being treated at a German hospital in Frankfurt. As of this afternoon, one was listed in critical condition and the other in serious condition.

The shooting took place yesterday afternoon on a U.S. Air Force bus outside Terminal 2 of Frankfurt International Airport.

The bus was transporting a 15-member Security Forces team from the airport to Ramstein Air Base. They were on their way to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

A spokesperson from RAF Lakenheath gave the following statement:

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of those Airmen who were killed and wounded in yesterday’s attack," said Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe. "We are working closely with German authorities to fully investigate this incident. Despite this terrible tragedy, we believe Germany is a safe place for our Airmen and their families to live and work."

MP for West Suffolk, Matthew Hancock said “I was saddened and shocked by the news of the shooting. The US base at RAF Lakenheath is an integral part of the Suffolk community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these men at this difficult time.”