Police in Hamburg, Germany responded to a shooting at a Jehova’s Witness hall in Alsterdorf at around 21:00 local time yesterday.
Several people have been fatally injured, including apparently the alleged perpetrator, according to a police statement. Others have been seriously injured.
Footage emerged this morning that appears to show the suspect firing multiple rounds through a window in the hall.
Hamburg’s Interior Minister, Andy Grote, said on Twitter that a large contingent including special forces had been deployed to the scene to fully clarify the circumstances of the crime. The motive for the attack has not yet been given, however at a briefing today, police said the suspect, referred to as Philipp F, was a former member of the religious community who had “ill-feelings”.
Jehova’s Witness practices include a reluctance to bear arms, receive blood transfusions, salute a national flag or participate in secular government.
Gun laws are fairly strict in Germany, with anyone under the age of 25 required to pass a psychological evaluation before obtaining a gun license. Authorities are planning to further strengthen gun legislation following a plot to overthrow the government that resulted in several arrests in December.
In Germany, mass shootings are rare but not unheard of. In January 2022, a student shot and killed one person and wounded four at Heidelberg University before committing suicide. In February 2020, a far-right extremist shot and killed ten people and wounded five in Hanau before committing suicide. And in January 2020 a man shot and killed six people and wounded two in Rot am See before being apprehended by police.
