Shots fired at Jehovah’s Witness building in Germany; several killed.
“We only know that several men and women died in Jehovah’s Witness; several individuals are wounded, these people were taken to hospitals,” police spokesman Holger Vehren said for the shooting within Jehovah’s Witness the Gross Borstel area of Germany’s second-biggest city.
He said he had no offered information on the seriousness of the accidents suffered by the wounded. Police would not verify media that tend to be german, which named no sources, of six or seven lifeless.
In a Twitter information into the hours which are early Hamburg police stated they believed there was clearly only 1 shooter in Jehovah’s Witness, and additionally they had been slowly moving straight back safety forces through the location.
“The examination into the motive behind the criminal activity continues,” police said.
The scene of the shooting was the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall, a contemporary and boxy building that is three-story door to an auto repair shop.
Vehren said police were alerted towards the shooting about 9:15 p.m. and had been from the scene rapidly.
He said that after officers came and discovered people who have apparent gunshot wounds on the floor floor, they heard a go from an flooring that is top found a fatally wounded individual upstairs who may have been a shooter. He stated authorities did not have to use their particular firearms.
Identification of the accused
Vehren stated there was clearly no sign that a shooter ended up being away from home and that it showed up most likely that the perpetrator ended up being in a choice of the building or one of the dead.
Student Laura Bauch, which life close by, stated “there were about four periods of shooting,” German development company dpa reported. “There were shots which can be constantly several these durations, around at periods of 20 seconds to a min,” she said.
She stated she looked out her window and saw someone running through the ground-floor towards the floor that is second of Jehovah’s Witnesses hallway.
Gregor Miesbach, whom life within picture for the building, was notified by the noise of shots and filmed a figure going into the building via a window. Shots may then be heard from inside. The figure later apparently emerges from the hallway, sometimes appears within the courtyard and then fires even more shots inside.
Miesbach told tv that is german company NonstopNews he heard at least 25 shots. After authorities arrived, one chance this is certainly last about five full minutes later on, he said.
Police had no given information about the function which was under way when you look at the building as soon as the shooting occurred.
In addition they had no instant all about a motive that is possible. Vehren said that “the history continues to be completely confusing.”
Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher tweeted that the news had been” that is“shocking offered his sympathy into the victims’ relatives.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are part of an church that is international founded in the United States in the 19th century and headquartered in Warwick, New York. It promises a account this is certainly globally of 8.7 million, with about 170,000 in Germany.
People are recognized for their evangelistic efforts including knocking on doors and literature that is circulating community squares. The denomination’s unique practices include a refusal to bear arms, accept bloodstream transfusions, salute a national flag or participate in secular government.
