Suspected gunman shot dead seven people at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hamburg on Thursday night was identified by the German authorities on Friday.
Police said Philipp F, 35, was responsible for the massacre, and the gunman also took his own life in the incident. Eight others were injured, four of them seriously. A motive for the attack—described by the German chancellor Olaf Scholz as an “act of brutal violence” – remains unclear.
At a press conference on Friday, police confirmed that the shooter was a former member of Jehovah’s Witnesses and had “bad feelings,” according to the police report. BBC. All those killed — including an unborn baby — were German citizens. The victims were men and women between the ages of 33 and 60, authorities said.
investigator speak the shooter legally owned a semi-automatic pistol and he obtained his gun license in December. Hamburg Police Chief Ralf Martin Meyer said Phillip F had previously been investigated after authorities suggested that he might be unfit to possess a firearm due to an undiagnosed mental illness, but ultimately decided that he was not breaking any rules. More than 100 rounds were fired during the attack.
Terrifying footage filmed during the attack appears to show the gunman shooting at police from a window at the place of worship.
It is thought people may have gathered in the hall for a Bible study when the shooting began around 9pm. Police were called to the scene minutes later, where they discovered people “who may have suffered serious gunshot wounds, some of them dead,” police spokesman Holger Vehren said.
“Officers also heard a gunshot from the upper part of the building and went upstairs, where they also found a person. So far we have no indication that any of the perpetrators have escaped,” he added.
Hamburg State Interior Minister Andy Grote praised the swift action of the emergency services. “We can assume they saved many lives in this way,” he said at Friday’s news conference, adding that the carnage was “the worst crime our city has ever seen.” experienced recently.”
Based on DirectorPhillip F has styled himself as a business consultant on his website, charging exorbitant fees to clients with the promise that he can make millions for his clients.
The suspect is said to have charged a daily minimum of “250,000 euros” [$265,000] plus 19 percent VAT” for his services which he claims will generate “at least €2.5 million [$2.6 million]” for customers.
The website also reports that Phillip F grew up in the town of Kempten in the Allgäu region of southern Germany in a strictly religious family. He then trained to be a banker before moving to Hamburg to work as a business consultant.
A separate report from the German news magazine Concentrate alleged that the suspect wrote a strange e-book that purported to reveal “the truth about Jesus Christ, God, and Satan.” His website is also said to have discussed a “cure for anxiety” and argued that “there is no reason to worry about the future”.
In a statement, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany said: “The religious community is deeply saddened by the horrific attack on members at the Kingdom Hall in Hamburg following a religious service.” .
