Shooting in Germany Church Leaves Several People Dead

In the northern German city of Hamburg, several people have been killed in a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall.

According to police, the gunman acted alone and is presumed dead. It is unknown whether the attacker is one of the six or seven fatalities reported by German media. As of yet, "there is no reliable evidence on the motive," according to the authorities.

Germany Church Shooting

Thursday evening's gunfire on Deelböge street, in the Gross Borstel area, also resulted in several injuries. According to the police, they discovered a deceased individual at the crime site who they suspect may have been the offender; investigations are ongoing.

On Thursday at around 21:15 local time (20:15 GMT), authorities were notified that bullets had been fired in the building, according to police spokesperson Holger Vehren. Police who entered discovered victims who "may have been severely hurt by weapons, some fatally," he added.

The Jehovah's Witness community in Germany stated it was "deeply pained by the brutal attack on its members during a religious service at the Kingdom Hall in Hamburg."

Peter Tschentscher, the mayor of Hamburg, has expressed his sorrow and condolences to the victims' families. During the night, BBC reported that forensic professionals had been working at the crime site.

They still wear white suits in the conference room's well-lit environment. It is believed that individuals had gathered, possibly for a Bible study, at 21:00 local time when the shooting occurred. Several armed police officers were shown on camera inside and around the Kingdom Hall as a helicopter buzzed overhead. At one time, a bomb disposal crew was sent.

The streets surrounding the place of worship have been blocked off, and police had already issued a warning of "high risk" in the area, according to the spokesperson. Residents in the area have been advised to remain indoors.

There is "no definite information on the crime's motive," police stated on Twitter, urging the public not to post unconfirmed speculation, as per CNN.

On Twitter, the mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, extended his "deepest condolences" to the victims' families, calling the accounts of the tragedy "terrible."

Letters of sympathy were received from religious communities in Hamburg. Shootings are not unheard of in Germany but less often than in the United States. A guy opened fire on students in a lecture classroom at Heidelberg University in southern Germany in January 2022, killing at least one. In 2020, a mass shooting at two shisha establishments in Hanau resulted in the deaths of numerous individuals.

Local media said that police from a specialized armed team were coincidentally nearby when the shooting occurred. When they heard gunfire, they were returning to their headquarters in Alsterdorf. Heiko Sander, a reporter for NDR, informed Tagesschau that the neighboring police responded after hearing many gunshots. Sander said they entered the premises and began evacuating individuals, including a pregnant lady.

Hamburg Church Shooting Witness Speaks Out

As cops arrived at the site, they discovered several severely injured and deceased victims. A police spokeswoman stated, "Then they heard a gunshot from above, and upon ascending the stairs, they discovered a second victim."

Lara Bauch, a 23-year-old witness, reported hearing "approximately four fire episodes." Several bullets were consistently fired 20 to 60 seconds apart at these intervals. She peeked out the window and saw a Jehovah's Witnesses member sprinting frantically from the ground level to the first story.

She stated that the center's services had "always been highly attended" and that the gathering consisted of "families, senior individuals, and younger individuals." Germany has around 175,000 Jehovah's Witnesses, including 3,800 in Hamburg. The late 19th-century American Christian organization preached nonviolence and was notable for door-to-door evangelization.