The bloody attack at a Jehovah's Witnesses Hall in Hamburg
A dramatic shooting took place around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, inside the Jehovah's Witnesses worship center on Deelböge street, in Hamburg (Germany).
According to the newspaper 'Bild', there are seven deaths, all from the shots, and eight injuries of varying degrees.
A tremendous operation of police, ambulances and firefighters quickly moved to the area of the shooting which, for security reasons was quickly cordoned off and tried to control a the situation.
The Hamburg Police notified citizens of the situation, noting that there were deaths, that it was a large-scale operation. The police also shared this message: "so far there is no reliable information about the motive for the crime. We ask you not to share unsafe assumptions or spread rumors."
Photo: Twitter - @PolizeiHamburg
It still not known if there were one or more attackers, if they had fled or, as the police pointed out after the first investigations, the person responsible was one of the deceased inside the temple.
This was confirmed by Holger Vehren, spokesman for the Hamburg police, to local media. "There are indications that a perpetrator is at the scene and is one of the deceased."
In fact, as reported by 'NTV', when the first agents arrived in the area, they heard a shot inside. Despite this, the police have not had to open fire at any time.
The corpse that they suspect belongs to the shooter, was on the second floor of a building that had three levels, but the main events of the tragic shooting was held on the first.
Der Spiegel magazine reported that the suspect is a former member of the religious community, aged between 30 and 40.
Until the police have controlled the situation, streets and roads have remained closed and a message has been sent to the neighbors, through the 'Nina Warnapp' app, used to notify emergencies, recommending that they not leave the house and seek shelter if they were on the street.
In fact, for several hours, the surroundings of the area (Gross Borstel, Alsterdorf and Eppendorf districts) have been cordoned off emphatically, since no one has been allowed to go in and out.
At dawn, the authorities have reported that the danger had passed in the area and that, under the circumstances, a certain normality could be recovered.
"Our measures and investigations are working at full speed. As soon as there is verified information, we will share it directly," the Hamburg Police commented after midnight, about three hours after the shooting.
Of course, the local media, after consulting security sources, have confirmed that the police assume that the attack is an isolated incident and is not part of a terrorist act.
The mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, has been one of the first authorities to comment on what happened and has done so through Twitter. "My deepest condolences to the families of the victims. The emergency services are working at full speed to locate the perpetrator or perpetrators and clarify what happened."
Photo: Twitter - @TschenPe
Senator for the Interior, Andy Grote, also tweeted about the deployment carried out in the area, "with a large contingent, including special forces, to provide security in the area and clarify the circumstances of the crime in its entirety."
Photo: Twitter - @AndyGrote
Pending more information and knowing the evolution of the injured, the balance of the attack leaves seven dead and many questions that will be answered as the investigation progresses.