Hamburg Several people were killed and a few injured when shots were fired in a Hamburg church on Thursday evening. According to media reports, six or seven people died and at least eight others were injured. The perpetrator may be dead, but according to information from security circles, the police classify his act as a rampage.
The background is so far unclear. The police set up an information portal. “Photos and videos of the crime or relevant events in this context can be uploaded there,” said the Hamburg police on Twitter. Interior Senator Andy Grote (SPD) announced a press conference for noon, at which details of the crime and the status of the investigation should be announced.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) was “shocked” by the crime in Hamburg’s Alsterdorf district. “In this difficult hour, my thoughts are with the victims and their relatives, with the community members and also with the emergency services,” said Faeser of the German Press Agency. Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) was also dismayed. “The reports from Alsterdorf / Groß Borstel are shocking,” wrote Tschentscher on Twitter. “My deepest sympathy goes to the families of the victims.”
The police initially did not comment on the exact number of deaths. “According to initial findings, there are several dead among the victims,” said a police spokesman.
The perpetrator may also be among the dead: “There are indications that it could be the perpetrator. But it is still unclear whether it was really the perpetrator.” There is no indication of another perpetrator or a fugitive.
Investigations still ongoing
A neighbor reported several shots at the Jehovah’s Witnesses event. “It was about four firing periods. During these periods, several shots were always fired, roughly 20 seconds to one minute apart,” reported student Lara Bauch. Later, people were carried onto the street by police officers on their hands and feet.
Four hours after the fatal shots, the forensics team finally entered the crime scene at night. They were still out and about in the three-story commercial building at 4:15 a.m. on Friday. Patrol cars had previously cordoned off the crime scene. Officers with submachine guns also secured the area.
What kind of event was held in the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses was initially unclear. One of two weekly meetings was announced on the Jehovah’s Witnesses website for Thursday evening. Police say several people attended the event.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian community with their own interpretation of the Bible. The followers believe in Jehovah as “almighty God and Creator” and are supposed to submit to strict regulations. They are convinced that a new world is at hand and that they will be saved as a chosen church. Jehovah’s Witnesses have around eight million members worldwide. The “world headquarters” is in New York. The German community, with fewer than 200,000 members, is one of the largest in Europe.
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