Seven killed in shooting at Jehovah’s Witness center in Hamburg, Germany
Several people were killed Thursday night in a shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness center in Hamburg, Germany.
According to local reports, seven people were killed and at least eight others were injured at the Kingdom Hall house of worship in the Gross Borstel district around 9 pm local time while an event was taking place.
“We only know that several people died here; Several people are injured, they were taken to hospitals,” police spokesman Holger Vehren said.
The extent of the victims’ injuries was not immediately known.
However, police have said that the gunman is among those who died In the scene. It appears the attacker was the seventh reported death.
“We have no indication of a perpetrator on the run,” the police spokesman said.
“To rule out the involvement of other perpetrators, we are conducting extensive checks and searches,” he added.
Police urged people to seek shelter after the incident and avoid using the phone so as not to clog phone lines, but that warning was lifted around 3 a.m., the Federal Office for Civil Protection announced.
Witnesses told n-tv television that they heard 12 shots. Police arrived at the scene and found several people with gunshot wounds downstairs before another shot was heard upstairs.
“The officers themselves also heard a shot coming from the upper floors of the building. They went up the stairs and found a body there as well,” the spokesman said, adding that law enforcement did not have to use their weapons at the scene.
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Shortly after the shooting, Hamburg police wrote on Twitter that there was “no reliable information” about the shooter motif and urged the public not to speculate.
“So far there is no reliable information on the motive for the crime. We ask that you do not share unsafe assumptions and/or spread rumours,” police wrote.
“We are with the wounded and with those who have been torn from life,” said the Archdiocese of Hamburg wrote on Twitter.
Mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher addressed the situation on Twitter.
“My condolences to the families of the victims,” he wrote.
with cable news services