9 die in German bar shootings, suspect’s body found

Feb 20, 2020
Berlin:The body of the suspected perpetrator of the two shootings in the German city of Hanau that left at least nine people dead, has been found in his house along with another one, police said on Thursday.

In a tweet, police said the “alleged perpetrator” was found “lifeless” at his home in Hanau, and special police officers also found another body there, reports Efe news.

In a statement, the state police said they had received witness information about a fleeing vehicle.

“The home address was blocked off extensively and searched by special police forces… One of the dead people is most likely the culprit,” said the statement, which also confirmed the new shooting death toll as nine, bringing the total to 11 deaths.

“Investigations into the identity of the victims and the suspected perpetrator are ongoing,” it said, adding that “there are currently no indications of other perpetrators”.

The suspect is a German national with a hunting weapons license, in whose car ammunition was found, according to a report in the German Bild newspaper.

In the consecutive shootings on Wednesday night in two shisha bars, nine people were killed and at least five others were believed to have been seriously injured.

The first attack took place at around 10 p.m. in a bar called Midnight, followed by the second shooting at the Arena Bar & Cafe, a similar establishment in the city’s Kesselstadt neighbourhood.

The shots were allegedly fired from a car, according to regional public broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk.

Local police deployed a large search operation for the attacker over several hours.

Hanau MP Katja Leikert said it was a “horrific scenario for us all” and sent her “heartfelt condolences” to those close to the victims.

Several local media outlets also reported another alleged attack at a third location in the city, but police did not confirm this.

The city of Hanau – home to some 100,000 people – is located 25 km east of Frankfurt.IANS