More details from
a Dutch news site:
article Translated:
Ex-member kills six Jehovah's Witnesses and fetus in Hamburg: 'Police tipped about mental illness shooter' What possessed 35-year-old Philipp F. from Hamburg? That is the big question after the massacre with seven deaths that he caused in the northern German city on Thursday evening in a so-called kingdom hall of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The German, who then killed himself, had a gun permit since the end of last year, the police and judiciary announced on Friday during a press conference.
The hobby shooter applied for the permit in early December and obtained the document a week later after the firearms authority of the Hamburg police had checked whether he met the conditions. In January, following Philipp F.'s firearms aptitude test, the same authority received an anonymous letter stating that the police should check his conduct. This is because, according to the sender, the thirty-something gave the impression of being mentally ill, but did not want to be treated. "He has a hatred of religious groups, especially Jehovah's Witnesses," the letter read.
According to the police, it was not possible to contact the informer. "He has remained anonymous to this day," said Chief of Police Ralf Martin Meyer on Friday. To be on the safe side, according to him, 'experienced colleagues' paid an unannounced visit to F. on February 7 in his apartment in the Altona district. “He was cooperative and provided information. His firearm and ammunition were in a safe in accordance with the conditions. Only one projectile lay on top. He apologized for this and immediately put it in the safe. There was nothing to indicate a mental illness. This exhausted our legal options for further measures, such as drawing up a psychiatric report or withdrawing the firearms license.”
Left voluntarily, but not on good terms
How things could go so horribly wrong a few weeks later is still unclear. The police and judiciary assume that the 35-year-old shooter acted alone. There are currently no indications of a terrorist or political motive. F., who has been registered in Hamburg since 2014 and, according to his LinkedIn profile, has been working as an independent business consultant since September, had no criminal record. He was only known from several fraud reports to the Public Prosecution Service in the Hanseatic city. He accused three companies of cheating, two of which specialize in oil deals. The third is a large broker, German media report based on an explanation on its website.
F. was a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Hamburg until eighteen months ago, according to the State Security Department of the State Criminal Investigation Department. "He left the faith community voluntarily, but did not leave on good terms," Deputy Chief Thomas Radzuweit explained during the press conference. A member of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the audience stated that the thirty-something "withdrew for whatever reason and left the community."
The police say they had no indications from the religious community that they felt threatened by F. He arrived at the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Alsterdorf district around nine o'clock on Thursday evening. He goes to the back of the building, where a female Jehovah's Witness is just about to drive away from the parking lot. The thirty-year-old fires at the car ten times, but the driver is only slightly injured.
fluke
After that it all goes very fast. F. walks to a window, fires at it a few times and then enters the building. Almost immediately he starts shooting wildly, causing great panic among the dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses who have just attended a church service and are talking about it. While cries of fear are heard and the first victims collapse, others try to find a safe haven and call the emergency number. At 9:04 p.m., the police and fire brigade receive the first of a total of 47 emergency calls, with some callers unable to speak and only shots being heard.
Four minutes later, a special police team arrives that happens to be nearby. The members of this 'support patrol for difficult operational situations' (USE) gain access to the building by shooting the window of the front door and then opening the door from the inside with the handle. In the hall they see the first victims and hear 'continuous use of firearms'. A few seconds later they see a man with a firearm fleeing down a staircase to the first floor. Then a shot rings out. Then it gets quiet. The perpetrator has killed himself, they find out a little later.
Dead and wounded
While the police bring twenty survivors to safety, aid workers take care of the victims. Seven of them were killed by the bullets. It concerns three men and four women between the ages of 33 and 60. Eight Jehovah's Witnesses - six men and two women - were injured. One of them is a pregnant woman. Her unborn daughter of 28 weeks died as a result of a bullet in her abdomen. Four injured are in life-threatening condition.
Philipp F. appears to have shot nine magazines with fifteen bullets each. Forensic investigators find another twenty magazines in his backpack. According to the police chief who led the storming operation, the rapid intervention of the USE team probably prevented more casualties.
Book
In a book that Philipp F. self-published at the end of 2022, he writes in English that he grew up in a "strictly evangelical household" and an "incident" made him feel the need for spirituality. "The author made a personal journey through hell that lasted more than three years," RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland quotes from the preface.
