In their most recent statement, the city’s police stated that “eight people are dead, including the alleged perpetrator.” The incident resulted in additional injuries, some of which were severe.
In a statement, the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany said: The horrific attack on its members at the Kingdom Hall in Hamburg following a religious service deeply saddens the religious community.
The murders in the northern German city occurred around 9 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), and the number of gunmen suspected by police was initially unknown.
However, subsequent information provided by the city’s police suggested that there was only one attacker, who is believed to have passed away at the scene.
Hours after armed officers searched the scene for evidence and suspects, Hamburg police stated in their most recent Twitter update, “At present, we believe there is one perpetrator.”
Politicians led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the northern German city’s murder spree.
“Last night, a brutal act of violence resulted in the deaths of several members of a Jehovah’s Witness community.
Earlier, a police spokesperson stated that authorities were determining whether the shooter was one of the numerous victims discovered at the scene.
Holger Vehren, a spokesman for the Hamburg Police Department, disclosed to NTV that when officers were summoned to the building, they observed dead and injured individuals on the lower floor, where an event was taking place.
When the officers first entered the building, they also heard a gunshot and discovered a person dead upstairs.
A spokesperson stated that although police believe it might have been the shooter, they could not provide any additional details at this time.
While a helicopter flew overhead, footage from the scene showed numerous armed police officers inside and around the Kingdom Hall. At one point, a team was sent to remove the bomb.
The spokesperson added that the streets surrounding the place of worship have been cordoned off and that police had previously warned of an “extreme danger” in the area.
On Twitter, the police stated that “no confirmed information on the motive for the crime” and urged individuals not to make any erroneous assumptions.
On Twitter, Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher referred to the reports of the incident as “shocking,” expressing his “deepest sympathy” for the families of the victims.
Although more uncommon than in the United States, shootings do occur, but they are not unheard of.
