At least nine people have been shot dead and several others critically injured in the attacks on shisha bars in the town of Hanau, east of Frankfurt, police confirmed on Wednesday.
Earlier media reports suggested several suspects had opened fire Wednesday evening, but the Hanauer Anzeiger newspaper said later that there was only one suspect who acted on his own.
According to police, the attacks took place at about 10 p.m. local time (21:00 GMT) and targeted the "Midnight" bar and the Arena Bar.
In a Thursday tweet, the police said that the suspected shooter was found dead at this hime in Hanau, with another body discovered next to him. They also added that the perpetrator likely acted alone.
❗ #Update nach #Schießerei in #Hanau ❗
— Polizei Südosthessen (@Polizei_soh) February 20, 2020
Mutmaßlicher Täter wurde leblos an seiner Wohnanschrift in #Hanau aufgefunden. Zudem entdeckten Spezialkräfte der Polizei dort eine weitere Leiche.
Die Ermittlungen dauern an.
Aktuell gibt es keine Hinweise auf weitere Täter.
Videos from the scene shared on social media captured multiple law enforcement forces and emergency services deployed in the area.
Shooting at a shisha bar in Hanau several dead#Hanau pic.twitter.com/hZ1lY4DlUL
— 🦁 de wilde leeuw 🦁🇳🇱 ⚡ (@wilde_westenNL) February 19, 2020
Eight people were killed in shootings in the #German city of #Hanau on Wednesday evening, authorities said.
— Rahul Upadhyay (@rahulrajnews) February 20, 2020
The first attack occurred at the "Midnight" bar in the centre of Hanau city. There was then a second shooting at the Arena Bar.
Attackers motive still unclear.#GermanyShooting pic.twitter.com/myIv16axwH
According to early media reports, the suspect entered the first bar in the town centre initially and then headed for another one in the Kasselstadt district. The shots were also heard at Kurt-Schumacher-Platz, a central square in Kesselstadt, according to Bild.
There is alleged footage from the scene posted on Twitter in which gunshots can be heard in the background.
Breaking and Exclusive from #Hanau #Germany , you can hear the ongoing gun shots in the background , this is terrifying! pic.twitter.com/aIN9Daf5Hi
— Steven Nabil (@thestevennabil) February 19, 2020
An alleged video of police arresting a suspect in connection with the attacks has also been circulating on social media. Police haven't confirmed whether it was the actual shooter.
Ein mutmaßlicher Täter wird festgenommen pic.twitter.com/mgVmP1jGgI
— Kuvvet_mira (@Kuvvetmira20) February 19, 2020
Initially, there were also reports about a third scene in another district - Lamboy, where a large contingent of officers was deployed over a possible shootout, but it was not confirmed.
The search for the suspect is still underway, and the motives behind the attack remain unclear.
