Shock in Germany: armed attack on church, dead and injured

An armed attack was carried out on a church belonging to Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Alsterdof district of Hamburg, Germany.

While the Hamburg police explained that the attacker acted alone and was not an organized crime, they also announced that the attacker’s motivation is still unknown. Although the official authorities did not reveal the number of people killed in the attack, the German newspaper Bild announced that 7 people were killed and 8 people were injured.

It was reported in local media news that the attacker was also killed. As German police announced that the investigation was continuing, a witness to the incident said: “We heard shots. We heard 12 shots in a row. “Then they took people out of the building in black bags,” he said.

Authorities announced that investigations into the incident are continuing.

The incident was reported to have occurred around 9:00 p.m. local time, and the condition of some of the injured was reported to be serious. On the other hand, the police, dressed in special protective suits, investigated whether there were booby traps in the building.

In Germany, where these types of armed attacks have increased in recent years, the attack by a far-right that killed 9 people, including immigrants of Turkish origin, in February 2020 shocked the country. In October 2019, two people were killed in an attack on a synagogue.

Authorities believe the attacker acted alone.

Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher said: “My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Our security forces are working with all their might,” he said.