A shooting at a Jehovah’s Witnesses church in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday evening has left at least seven people dead and eight others injured, according to reports from the German newspaper Bild. Earlier reports suggested that six people were killed, but a seventh victim was later found in the upper part of the church. It remains unclear whether the latest victim was the assailant.
Police have yet to determine a motive for the attack, and it is unclear whether the gunman has died. The sect of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a denomination of Christianity, and the attack has sent shockwaves throughout the local community and the wider country.
The mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and those who were injured in the shooting. The incident has prompted calls for greater measures to be taken to prevent such tragic events from occurring in the future.
The attack at the church is the latest in a series of similar incidents in recent years. Gun violence has become a major issue in Germany, with several high-profile shootings in public places sparking concerns over the availability of firearms and the need for greater security measures.