Shooting at Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Germany

Several people are dead and many others injured following a shooting at Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall in the German city of Hamburg at approximately 9pm (3pm EST) on Thursday.

CNN affiliate RTL/NTV reported that while German authorities have not released an official death toll, they believe that 6 people are dead and another 7 have been injured.  Authorities also believe that the shooter acted alone.  

Police in Hamburg are currently investigating the crime scene, where they believe that the shooter died.  This has not yet been confirmed.

“At present, we believe there is one perpetrator,” Hamburg police said in their latest update on their Twitter account, hours after armed officers scoured the scene for evidence and suspects.

“All police measures in the vicinity are being successively discontinued. The investigation into the circumstances of the crime continues.”

 Hamburg police spokesman Holger Vehren told NTV they were called to the scene, where an event was taking place.  Vehren said that on their arrival, people were already dead on the floor.

CCTV footage from Kingdom Hall shows armed police in and around the video and a helicopter flying in the vicinity of the building.  The footage also shows people being escorted out of the building by police, some into ambulances.

The police have cordoned off the streets near Kingdom Hall and warned residents nearby to stay indoors as there is still “extreme danger” in the area.

Police confirmed that there is “no confirmed information on the motive for the crime,” and have asked people not to share hearsay on social media.

Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher expressed his “deepest sympathy” for the relatives of those killed and called the incident “shocking.”

“My deepest sympathy goes to the relatives of the victims. Emergency services are working at full speed to pursue the perpetrator(s),” he wrote.