Seven reported dead in German church shooting
Seven people have been reported killed and others seriously injured in a shooting at a church in the German city of Hamburg.
Armed police officers near the scene of the shooting in Hamburg. Photo: Jonas Walzberg/dpa via AP
The Bild newspaper reported that seven people were dead and eight others injured in the shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness church on Thursday night.
There were no indications that a perpetrator was on the run, Bild quoted a police representative as saying.
“Several people were seriously injured, some even fatally. We are on site with a large contingent of forces,” Hamburg police said on Twitter.
Broadcaster NDR quoted a police representative saying one or several unknown perpetrators shot at people in a church at about 9pm local time (2000 GMT).
“The dead people all have gunshot wounds,” the representative was quoted as saying.
Germany’s DPA news agency, citing a reporter on the scene, said local residents in the northern Alsterdorf district of Hamburg had received warnings on their mobile phones of a “life-threatening situation” and streets had been sealed off.
The mayor of Hamburg, a port city, expressed shock.
“I extend my deepest sympathy to the families of the victims,” Peter Tschentscher said on Twitter.
“The forces are working at full speed to pursue the perpetrators and clarify the background.”
-AAP
