The attack in German Hanau, which killed nine people, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called a terrorist act.
“I was horrified to learn about the terrorist act of violence in Hanau. My deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the statement said. “We will not weaken efforts aimed at ensuring peaceful coexistence in our country.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave the following assessment: “It is too early for a final assessment. Every effort is being made to clarify all the details and circumstances of these terrible killings. However, much now indicates that the criminal acted on the basis of right-wing extremist, racist motives, out of hatred of people of a different origin, different faith or other appearance. ”
Earlier, an unknown attacked in German Hanau, which killed nine people and injured four more. Police later discovered the body of the suspect in the apartment along with another victim. According to Peter Boyt, Minister of the Interior of the State of Hesse, where the city of Hanau is located, we are talking about a criminal and his 72-year-old mother. Both have gunshot wounds. The alleged shooter, most likely, committed suicide, according to police.
The attack was carried out on the evening of February 19. The man first opened fire in the hookah room in the city center, and after that in the same institution in the western region, about two kilometers from the first. The criminal used a car to move around the streets.
Media reported that shooting was also conducted in another area of the city, but this information was not confirmed. Initially, it was about eight dead and five wounded, later the police said that one of the victims died.
In pursuit of the suspect, the police stormed the apartment building, where she discovered the body of the alleged shooter and an elderly woman. Police believe the suspect acted alone.
The authorities do not disclose either their identity or the motive for the crime. According to a representative of the German federal prosecutor’s office, perhaps this is about radical extremism.
“The federal prosecutor’s office was investigating. The attack shows signs of right-wing extremism, ”Reuters quoted him as saying.
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"Meaningless death"
Officially, the identity of the offender was not reported, however, according to German media, he could be a citizen of Germany, a native of Hanau Tobias R. (the surname is not fully reported). He is 43 years old, he studied as a bank clerk and is "completely unremarkable," according to the online publication Focus.
According to Boyte, the suspect had legal weapons and was actively involved in sports shooting.
The publication Bild, citing sources, claims that the man left a letter and video recording, where he called for killings. Focus, citing security sources, reports that YouTube videos uploaded by Tobias R. were devoted to conspiracy theories. Journalists also claim that he expressed his negative attitude towards migrants from Turkey.
So, according to Bild, some of the victims were Kurds. Meanwhile, the police did not disclose the nationality of the victims. Reuters reports that most hookahs in Germany and Western Europe belong to immigrants from Asia, as well as migrants from Turkey.
The co-chairman of the ruling coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Saskia Esken believes that we are talking about the terror of right-wing radicals.
“What a terrible crime in Hanau! For too long we have been afraid to call it bluntly: right-wing terror in Germany. We are shocked and we grieve. All our thoughts are with victims, relatives and friends, ”she wrote on Twitter.
Was für eine entsetzliche Tat in #Hanau! Viel zu lange haben wir uns davor gescheut, es mit klaren Worten zu benennen:
Rechter Terror in Deutschland.
Wir sind geschockt und wir trauern. All unsere Gedanken sind bei den Opfern, Angehörigen und Freunden.
Mourning events in Hanau will take place at 18:00 local time (20:00 Moscow time). The regional parliament canceled the plenary meeting scheduled for February 20.
The federal government conveyed its condolences in connection with the incident. About this in his Twitter said the official representative of the Cabinet of Germany Steffen Seibert. He also said that Angela Merkel canceled her trip to the Halle Academy of Naturalists.
“Chancellor Merkel canceled her trip to Leopoldina in Halle because of the killings in Hanau ... the Federal Chancellor is constantly receiving information about the progress of the investigation,” he wrote.
Horst Seehofer, the Federal Minister of the Interior, also noted his events.