Hamburg church shooting leaves 8 dead, including unborn child

At least eight people,including an unborn child, were killed in a shooting at a church in Hamburg, German police said on Thursday.There was "no indication of a terrorist background"to the attack, a spokesperson for the Hamburg prosecution’s office said. The assailant was later declared deadby the security forces.

The police said the shooting took place at a Jehovah’s Witnesses centre at about 9 pm local time (around 2000 GMT). The primary assailant is reported to be a former member of the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he was left "speechless" by the shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness place of worship in his hometown of Hamburg and his thoughts went out to the victims and their relatives.

"We fear that further victims may die from their severe wounds," he said while thanking the security forces for their work.

People were alerted about an "extreme danger" in the affected area through a catastrophe warning app by the police.

The police appealed to the residents to stay indoors and avoid going to the area, adding that they have cordoned off the streets surrounding the church.

No exact death toll was shared by the police, but various German national media outlets confirmed that at least eight people had died in the attack, while eight others had been injured.

TV footage showed armed police storming the building and escorting people out with their hands above their heads.

According to the Bild daily newspaper, the shooting happened in a Jehovah's Witness church in the city that has Germany’s biggest port.

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The Jehovah's Witnesses said in a statement that the community was "deeply affected by the horrific attack on its members of the faith in a Kingdom Hall in Hamburg after a service".

Meanwhile, the police have set up an internet portal for people to upload photos and videos "of the crime or relevant events".

In recent years, Germany has been hit by several attacks, carried out by both far-right extremists and militants.

Germany is considered to be having the most stringent rules ongun control in Europe and the country's interior minister said in late 2022 that the government further plansto tighten gun laws after reports of a far-right group allegedly plotting to overthrow the state.

(With inputs from agencies)

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