The murderer who shot seven people dead and several more critically in a Jehovah’s Witness church in Hamburg has been identified.
Philipp F, a 35-year-old employee at the business center, is the murderer. According to Hamburg security officer Thomas Radszuweit, the alleged gunman was unknown to law enforcement and had never been the subject of a criminal investigation.
Once authorities made their way inside the premises, the suspect allegedly shot himself in the Jehovah’s Witness hall.
Ralf Martin Meyer, the chief of police in Hamburg, said the alleged gunman was legally in possession of a semi-automatic pistol and a weapons license.
An explanation for the shooting on Thursday night, which shocked Germany’s second-largest city, is yet unknown.The suspect, who had come for a Bible study meeting at the center, was a former member of the congregation, according to the German publication Spiegel.
According to his website, Phillip F. was raised in an ardently devout household in Kempten, Allgäu, according to Spiegel. He received training as a bank clerk after graduating from high school.
After completing his business administration studies and several stays abroad, he made his home in Hamburg. He describes himself as “multicultural” and “a self-confessed European” on his website.
He advertised consultancy services on his website, charging a “minimum daily charge of 250,000 euros plus 19% VAT,” in fields ranging from “managing” to “theology”.
It is said that he explained his excessive fees on his odd website.
