big operation
Eight people dead after shooting in Hamburg
View of the location in Hamburg. photo
© Jonas Walzberg/dpa
Hamburg is in shock. Several people die or are injured when gunshots suddenly ring out at a Jehovah’s Witnesses event. Chancellor Scholz speaks of a “brutal act of violence”.
According to current information, eight people were fatally injured when the shots were fired in a Jehovah’s Witnesses building in Hamburg. Among the dead was “apparently the alleged perpetrator,” as the Hamburg police announced on their website in the morning.
Investigators from the Hamburg police continue to secure traces at the crime scene in the morning. “At the moment the handovers are going on here. It’s all in flux,” said a police spokesman in Hamburg in the morning.
Several people were killed or injured by gunfire during last night’s event. According to media reports, six or seven people died and at least eight others were injured. The police initially gave no precise information.
The “Spiegel” reported that the suspect is said to be a former member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The magazine also reported that the murder weapon was a pistol. However, the police could not provide any information in the morning – neither about the alleged perpetrator nor about the exact course of events. A press conference was planned for midday in Hamburg.
Resident: “There were about four shot periods”
A neighbor reported several shots fired at the event. “There were about four shot periods. During 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.
In the early morning, the police secured further tracks in front of, behind and in the three-storey building. During the night, the investigators put up numerous small number boards on the outside of the building to mark traces of the act of violence. A 3D scanner was also used in the morning to document the course of the crime. The entrance to the Jehovah’s Witnesses building was covered with a privacy screen in the morning.
A hearse drove up to the scene around 8:00 a.m. Traffic on the busy Deelböge road was reopened around 6 a.m.
reactions
Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) was dismayed by the shots during an event of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “The reports from Alsterdorf / Groß Borstel are shocking,” wrote Tschentscher on Twitter. “My deepest sympathy goes to the relatives of the victims. The emergency services are working flat out to track down the perpetrators and clarify the background.” Tschentscher called on citizens to heed the police’s instructions.
Hamburg’s second mayor Katharina Fegebank was also shocked. “I am shocked by the shooting in Groß Borstel, in which there were several dead and injured,” wrote the Greens politician on Twitter. “My deepest sympathy goes to the families and friends of the victims. Thanks to all the emergency services who are working flat out to track down the perpetrators and clarify this cruel act.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) described the deadly shots as a brutal act of violence. “Bad news from #Hamburg. Several members of a Jehovah church fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night,” he posted on Twitter in the morning via the government account. “My thoughts are with them and their relatives. And with the security forces, who have been through a difficult operation.”
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.
“Several people have fallen victim to a brutal crime in Hamburg. Much is still unclear. We are shaken. We pray together,” wrote the Archdiocese of Hamburg on Twitter. It also said: “We are with those who are injured and with those who have been ripped out of life.”
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) was also “shaken”. “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.
EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson spoke on Twitter of a “shocking act”. Her thoughts are with the victims and their families. At the same time, the Swede thanked the Hamburg police, who reacted “immediately with incredible courage”.
Jehovah’s Witnesses – Background
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.
Background to the crime scene
The crime scene is a three-story commercial building located on a wide street and next to a painting company and a construction site with three large cranes. Around 15,000 people live in Hamburg-Alsterdorf, the district in the Hamburg-Nord district is around three square kilometers in size. In addition to Alsterdorf, there are twelve other districts in the district. Numerous companies are based in Hamburg-Alsterdorf. The Alster River runs through the district.
reference portal
The police have set up an information portal. “Photos and videos of the crime or relevant events in this context can be uploaded to the website https://hh.zettelportal.de/,” said the Hamburg police on Twitter.