Several people killed after Jehovah’s Witness centre shooting
Several people have been pronounced dead after a shooting in a Jehovah’s Witness church centre in Hamburg, Germany.
The tragic shooting took place yesterday, March 9, in Kingdom Hall in the Gross Borstel district, just outside of Hamburg city centre, where Jehovah's Witnessses were attending a service. The first calls made to emergency services took place at around 9.15pm after shots were heard.
German officials believe as many as seven people have died following the gun attack and at least eight more are severely injured.
Among the victims who tragically passed away was a woman who was seven months pregnant and her unborn child.
After police arrived on the scene, the gunman, who was working alone, is believed to have turned his gun on himself and took his own life.
In a statement made earlier, the Hamburg police department revealed, “The suspect fled from the emergency services to the first floor. The police followed and found another deceased person. This was the suspect who allegedly committed suicide”.
Shots fired in a parish hall in #GroßBorstel #Alsterdorf led to a major operation yesterday.
According to initial findings, 8 people are seriously injured, 7 fatally, among them one unborn child.
Currently we announce the current state of the investigation at a #pressconference
— Polizei Hamburg (@PolizeiHamburg) March 10, 2023
The gunman has been named as a 35-year-old German national who was a former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The reason behind his shooting rampage has not yet been made clear, according to Hamburg officials.
Hamburg's Interior Minister Andy Grote said in a briefing that many more people could have been killed it if wasn't for the emergency services fast-acting, and thanked them for their work.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz released a statement following the harrowing event. He wrote, “Several members of a Jehovah's Church fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night. My thoughts are with them and their families”.
Our thoughts go out to those who lost their lives or were injured, and their families.
