Around 9:15 p.m., several people alerted the police and emergency services about a shooting in the Alsterdorf district in northern Hamburg, reports Picture. At the scene, seven people were found dead and several injured, some of them seriously, the newspaper writes. However, the number of dead and injured has not yet been confirmed by German authorities. A large police operation is underway in the area and emergency doctors are working on site.
The crime must have taken place in a religious meeting place, writes the police in Hamburg on Twitter. According to the police, the motive for the shooting is still unclear, and the public is urged not to speculate and spread rumours. According to several German media, the premises have been used by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The perpetrator is believed to be one of the dead found in the building, the police announced according to the AFP news agency.
Warning: “Life threatening situation”
A safety message was sent out to residents in the area warning that a “Life-threatening situation” was underway. The police should also have urged people to avoid the area around the building – and to avoid making unnecessary calls so as not to burden telephone lines, according to Picture.
Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher commented on the incident via Twitter:
“The news from Alsterdorf Borstel is shocking. My deepest sympathies go to the families of the victims. The emergency services are working with full force to find the perpetrator(s) and clarify the background to the crime,” he writes.
The text is updated.