Gunman was former member of religious community, killed himself after police entered building, authorities say
The shooting rampage at a Jehovah's Witness center in Germany left eight people dead, including the gunman, authorities said on Friday.
The shooter, identified as 35-year-old Philipp F., fired at people during a worship service in the northern city of Hamburg on Thursday evening.
The gunman was a former member of the religious community, and he apparently killed himself after police entered the building, Thomas Radszuweit, from the State Office of Criminal Investigation, told a news conference in Hamburg.
Philipp F. did not have any criminal record and was the legal owner of a gun, he added.
The shooter killed four men, two women, and an unborn baby, at the Jehovah's Witness center, according to the police. Eight others were wounded in the attack.
More than a dozen people were evacuated unharmed from the building.
Authorities have not indicated a motive for the shooting but said investigations are ongoing.
Hamburg prosecutor Ralf Peter Anders told reporters that there was no indication of a terrorist motive.
He said the investigators were currently analyzing his laptops and smartphones to uncover further information.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed sorrow for the victims. “Several members of a Jehovah's community fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night. My thoughts are with them and their families,” he said on Twitter.
