Berlin, (SONNA) – The shooting rampage at a Jehovah’s Witness center in Germany left eight people dead, including the gunman, authorities said on Friday.
The shooter, identified as 35-year-old Philipp F., fired at people during a worship service in the northern city of Hamburg on Thursday evening.
The gunman was a former member of the religious community, and he apparently killed himself after police entered the building, Thomas Radszuweit, from the State Office of Criminal Investigation, told a news conference in Hamburg.
Police gave no motive for Thursday night’s attack. But they acknowledged recently receiving an anonymous tip that claimed the man identified as the shooter showed anger toward Jehovah’s Witnesses and might be psychologically unfit to own a gun.
Eight people were wounded, including a woman who was 28 weeks pregnant and lost the baby. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the death toll could rise.
Philipp F. did not have any criminal record and was the legal owner of a gun, he added.
The shooter killed four men, two women, and an unborn baby, at the Jehovah’s Witness center, according to the police. Eight others were wounded in the attack.
More than a dozen people were evacuated unharmed from the building.
Authorities have not indicated a motive for the shooting but said investigations are ongoing.
Hamburg prosecutor Ralf Peter Anders told reporters that there was no indication of a terrorist motive.
He said the investigators were currently analyzing his laptops and smartphones to uncover further information.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed sorrow for the victims. “Several members of a Jehovah’s community fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night. My thoughts are with them and their families,” he said on Twitter.
Source: Agencies
