At least six people have been killed in a shooting in a church in Hamburg, Germany, local media say.
According to Hamburg police, the shooting took place at a church on Deelböge street in the Gros Borstel district. Local media identified the location as a Jehovah’s Witness centre.
It is not clear if there was one or more shooters, but a large-scale operation has been launched.
Footage shows police escorting people out of the centre, some to ambulances.
Police secure the area after at least six people are dead and several more injured in a shooting in the northern German city of Hamburg
Police.
An alert was sent on the federal warning app, NINAwarn, at around 21:00 (20:00 GMT) telling locals that “one or more unknown perpetrators shot at people in a church”.
Residents nearby were told not to leave their homes amid the ongoing operation.
In a statement on Twitter police said “there is no reliable information on the motive for the crime” and they appealed to the public not to share assumptions or to spread rumours.
According to The Guardians reports said Broadcaster NDR quoted a police spokesperson saying that at about 9pm local time, one or several unknown perpetrators shot at people in the church.
“The dead people all have gunshot wounds,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
It is currently just after 11.30pm local time.
The latest update from Hamburg police is in:
The shooting took place at around 9pm, police said, adding that there were “one or more unknown” assailants.
They alerted people to an “extreme danger” in the area using a catastrophe warning app.
Residents must stay indoors and avoid the area, police said, adding that streets surrounding the church have been cordoned off.
Helen Sullivan of The Guardians reports the latest update from the deadly shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness centre in the German city of Hamburg.
“Six people are dead and several injured, local media says. The perpetrators are on the run. Police have said several people died in the shooting.”
“According to first indications, shots were fired in a church in Deelboege street in the Grossborstel district. Several people were seriously injured, some even fatally,” police wrote on Twitter. Bild is reporting that the shooting took place at a Jehovah’s Witness church.We will be bringing you updates as they come in. Here is our report on the shooting.”
Source: BBC, The Guardians
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