Attack on Jehovah's Witnesses Germany kills eight people

10-03-2023

Central Europe

Several people were killed in an attack on a building of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the German city of Hamburg. The suspect is among the dead.

It is the bloodiest crime in Hamburg in recent decades, writes the Hamburge Abendblatt. A 35-year-old former Jehovah's Witness shot eight people, and an unborn child, to death in a building of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The mother of the child survived the shooting. Others were severely injured. The suspect is among the dead.

At 7 p.m., an event with numerous participants began in the community rooms. Two hours later, around 9:08 p.m., the fire brigade and police were called to Alsterdorf. Witnesses reported gunshots.

A resident spoke to the German Press Agency of "four shooting periods" in which several shots were fired. According to her, the service of Jehovah's Witnesses is "always very well attended".

Pistol

The background of the crime and the motive is still unclear. So far, the police are assuming it was a killing spree. The perpetrator is said to be a German between 30 and 40. He left the community about a year and a half ago, after an alleged internal power struggle, the public prosecutor from Hamburg said. The man had a pistol with him. In addition, no weapons were found during a search of his home.

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According to Der Spiegel, the man is said to have forcibly gained access to the building of the religious community, in which a service was held with up to 50 participants.

Brutal

Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor and former Hamburg Mayor, described the deadly shots as a brutal act of violence. "Bad news from #Hamburg. Several members of a Jehovah's Church fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night", he tweeted.

Schlimme Nachrichten aus #Hamburg. Mehrere Mitglieder einer Jehova-Gemeinde sind gestern Abend einer brutalen Gewalttat zum Opfer gefallen. Meine Gedanken sind bei ihnen und ihren Angehörigen. Und bei den Sicherheitskräften, die einen schweren Einsatz hinter sich haben.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) March 10, 2023

The Federal Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, was "shocked" by the crime. "In this difficult hour, my thoughts are with the victims and their relatives, with the community members and the emergency services," said Faeser.