At least seven people were shot and killed inside a church in Hamburg’s Groß Borstel district on Thursday evening, prompting a major emergency alert and manhunt for suspects, according to the latest reports.
Seven others are seriously injured, and 17 individuals have minor injuries according to reports by the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper. The final toll of the killing remains unknown.
According to police, the devastating shooting took place in “King’s Hall,” a church that belongs to Jehovah’s Witnesses, at approximately 9:15 p.m. Several reports indicate there was more than one suspect, and they remain on the run.
Emergency services including anti-terror police have secured the crime scene and are on the hunt for those responsible. No arrests have so far been made in connection with the shooting.
A Hamburg police spokesman, however, stated that it is possible the killer already shot himself at the scene. When police entered the building, they heard a shot, and another body was found at the scene.
It remains unclear why the shooter or shooters targeted the church with police saying, “There is no reliable information on the motive for the crime,” according to German newspaper Bild.
Following the mass shooting, an alert went out over Germany’s disaster warning app informing the population of “extreme danger” and advising them to “seek shelter in a building immediately.” The app stated that the area around Deelböge Street should be avoided.
“Only use the phone in extreme emergencies so that the lines don’t collapse,” warned the app.
“The reports from Alsterdorf/Groß Borstel are shocking,” tweeted Hamburg mayor, Peter Tschentscher, late on Thursday. “My deepest condolences to the families of the victims. The emergency services are working flat out to track down the perpetrators and clarify the background.”
