According to German police, a shooter has claimed the lives of seven people at a Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Hamburg, Germany on Friday, March 10.
The tragic incident in the northern German city occurred at around 9 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), initially leading the police to be uncertain about the number of attackers involved. Later updates revealed that it was a single assailant, who died at the scene.
Upon arrival at the building, police discovered deceased and injured individuals on the ground level, where an event was being held, as noted by Hamburg police spokesman Holger Vehren to NTV.
As they entered the building, officers heard a shot coming from the top floor and found a deceased individual upstairs.
Further footage from the scene depicted numerous armed police officers in and around the Kingdom Hall, with a helicopter hovering above. At one point, a bomb disposal team was dispatched.
Authorities had cordoned off the streets around the place of worship, with earlier warnings of “extreme danger” in the area, as stated by the spokesperson.
Hamburg’s police announced in a statement, ”Eight people are dead – including the alleged perpetrator. Other people were injured in the incident, some seriously.”
Following the horrific attack, the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany stated, “The religious community is deeply saddened by the horrific attack on its members at the Kingdom Hall in Hamburg after a religious service.”
“At present, we believe there is one perpetrator,” declared Hamburg police in their latest update on their Twitter account, after armed officers had thoroughly searched the scene for evidence and suspects.
“All police measures in the vicinity are being successively discontinued. The investigation into the circumstances of the crime continues.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the shooting in a statement.
“Several members of a Jehovah community fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night. My thoughts are with them and their loved ones,” he wrote on Twitter.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson expressed on Twitter, “A shocking attack on a church in GrossBorstel, Hamburg last night. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.
“Thanks to @PolizeiHamburg who responded to the attack immediately and with incredible bravery.”
Police appealed for people not to share any unconfirmed assumptions, emphasizing that there is “no confirmed information on the motive for the crime,” via Twitter.
This is not the first shooting spree recorded in Germany in recent times.
In January 2022, at least one person was killed after a man opened fire on students in a lecture hall at Heidelberg University in southwestern Germany.
In 2020, a mass shooting at two shisha bars in Hanau resulted in several fatalities.
Watch the video below…
VIDEO: 8 killed in shooting attack on Jehovah’s Witness church in Germany
At least eight people have been killed in a shooting in a Jehovah’s Witness church in the northern German city of Hamburg.
Information available indicates that Seven others sustained various degrees of
— Eons Intelligence (@eonsintelligenc) March 10, 2023
