Status: 03/17/2023 3:45 p.m
After the killing spree on March 9th in the community center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hamburg-Alsterdorf, all of the seriously injured victims are now out of danger. This was confirmed by the spokesman for the faith community, Michael Tsifidaris, on Friday.
“This is the best news these days, in fact, it also puts a smile on our faces,” said Tsifidaris on Friday in an interview with NDR Info. Nine people were seriously injured in the attack and seven people died. He also announced that the Jehovah’s Witnesses would hold their own funeral service the weekend after next. “We are now in close coordination with the relatives, but I can already say today that we will hold a central commemoration event the weekend after next, due to the great interest and the overwhelming sympathy that the population has shown us,” said Tsifidaris. The community is very grateful to the city of Hamburg, which supports them with the organization and also wants to put out a book of condolences in the town hall. “We appreciate this gesture very much,” said the spokesman.
Philipp F. only a few months with the Jehovah’s Witnesses
A week ago, the alleged perpetrator Philipp F. is said to have killed seven people in a meeting room of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including four men, two women and an unborn girl. After the fact, the 35-year-old apparently took his own life. He was a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses for just a few months before he left the community of his own volition a year and a half ago, Tsifidaris said. For investigative tactical reasons, a lot of information is still being withheld by the authorities. Thus, the question of the motive is still unanswered.
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