Europe

8 dead in shooting at Jehovah's Witness center in Germany

Gunman was former member of religious community, killed himself after police entered building, authorities say

Ayhan Simsek  | 10.03.2023 - Update : 11.03.2023
8 dead in shooting at Jehovah's Witness center in Germany

BERLIN

The shooting rampage at a Jehovah's Witness center in Germany left eight people dead, including the gunman, authorities said on Friday.

The shooter, identified as 35-year-old Philipp F., fired at people during a worship service in the northern city of Hamburg on Thursday evening.

The gunman was a former member of the religious community, and he apparently killed himself after police entered the building, Thomas Radszuweit, from the State Office of Criminal Investigation, told a news conference in Hamburg.

Philipp F. did not have any criminal record and was the legal owner of a gun, he added.

The shooter killed four men, two women, and an unborn baby, at the Jehovah's Witness center, according to the police. Eight others were wounded in the attack.

More than a dozen people were evacuated unharmed from the building.

Authorities have not indicated a motive for the shooting but said investigations are ongoing.

Hamburg prosecutor Ralf Peter Anders told reporters that there was no indication of a terrorist motive.

He said the investigators were currently analyzing his laptops and smartphones to uncover further information.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed sorrow for the victims. “Several members of a Jehovah's community fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night. My thoughts are with them and their families,” he said on Twitter.


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