Investigators speak of rampage
Hamburg gunman apparently dead
03/10/2023, 05:10 am
A shootout broke out in a Jehovah’s Witness center in Hamburg. There are dead and injured. Security circles are assuming an amok attack. The shock in the Hanseatic city runs deep.
After the deadly shots during an event of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hamburg, the investigation into the bloody deed continues. Interior Senator Andy Grote announced a press conference for noon at which details of the crime and the status of the investigation should be announced.
Several people were killed or injured by gunfire during Thursday night’s event. 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 was initially unclear hours after the fact.
The police set up an information portal. On the website “Photos and videos of the crime or relevant events in this context could be uploaded,” said the Hamburg police on Twitter. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser was “shocked” by the crime in Hamburg’s Alsterdorf district. “In this difficult hour, my thoughts are with the victims and their families, with the community members and also with the emergency services,” said Faeser.
Neighbor reports multiple shots
Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher was also dismayed. “The reports from Alsterdorf / Groß Borstel are shocking,” Tschentscher tweeted. “My deepest condolences 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 really was the perpetrator.” There is no indication of another or a volatile perpetrator.
A neighbor reported several shots at the Jehovah’s Witnesses event. “There were about four shot periods. In these periods, several shots were always fired, approximately 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.
Several people present at the event
Four hours after the fatal shots, the forensics team finally entered the crime scene at night. At 4:15 a.m., they were still out and about in the three-story commercial building. 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 said to submit to strict rules. 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.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses were “deeply concerned”. “Our deepest sympathy goes to the families of the victims and the traumatized eyewitnesses. The chaplains of the local community are doing their best to support them in this difficult hour,” said a statement on the community’s website.
