This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/world/europe/germany-hanau-shisha-bar-shooting.html
The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Germany Shooting Leaves at Least 11 Dead in Far-Right Attack | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| HANAU, Germany — The man who was believed to have killed nine people when he opened fire on two bars in heavily immigrant neighborhoods in the central German city of Hanau was likely driven by a “xenophobic motive,” security officials said on Thursday. | HANAU, Germany — The man who was believed to have killed nine people when he opened fire on two bars in heavily immigrant neighborhoods in the central German city of Hanau was likely driven by a “xenophobic motive,” security officials said on Thursday. |
| The suspect, a 43-year-old German who has not been publicly identified, and his mother were both found dead with gunshot wounds in his apartment early Thursday, Peter Beuth, the interior minister for the central state of Hesse, told regional lawmakers in the state capital, Wiesbaden. | The suspect, a 43-year-old German who has not been publicly identified, and his mother were both found dead with gunshot wounds in his apartment early Thursday, Peter Beuth, the interior minister for the central state of Hesse, told regional lawmakers in the state capital, Wiesbaden. |
| Federal prosecutors took over the investigation the shooting in Hanau, a city of about 95,000 people that is 10 miles east of Frankfurt, on suspicion that the shooting was a terrorist attack amid indications of “a far-right motive,” Mr. Beuth said. | Federal prosecutors took over the investigation the shooting in Hanau, a city of about 95,000 people that is 10 miles east of Frankfurt, on suspicion that the shooting was a terrorist attack amid indications of “a far-right motive,” Mr. Beuth said. |
| Kemal Kocak, a cashier at a convenience store next to the Arena Cafe & Bar, the second to be attacked, said that he had arrived at the scene soon after the shootings and found a “catastrophe.” | Kemal Kocak, a cashier at a convenience store next to the Arena Cafe & Bar, the second to be attacked, said that he had arrived at the scene soon after the shootings and found a “catastrophe.” |
| “Afghani, Bosnian, Pole, two Turks, a Roma,” said Mr. Kocak, who said he had known virtually all of the victims. | “Afghani, Bosnian, Pole, two Turks, a Roma,” said Mr. Kocak, who said he had known virtually all of the victims. |
| Mr. Beuth declined to confirm reports from German news organizations that the gunman had left a video and a letter about the attack, but said that the authorities were examining a website attributed to the suspect, who had not previously been on their radar, either as a far-right extremist or a criminal. | Mr. Beuth declined to confirm reports from German news organizations that the gunman had left a video and a letter about the attack, but said that the authorities were examining a website attributed to the suspect, who had not previously been on their radar, either as a far-right extremist or a criminal. |
| “Initial results point to a xenophobic motive,” Mr. Beuth said. The attacks were among the bloodiest in the country’s recent memory and come at a time of growing concern about an increasingly emboldened and violent far right. | “Initial results point to a xenophobic motive,” Mr. Beuth said. The attacks were among the bloodiest in the country’s recent memory and come at a time of growing concern about an increasingly emboldened and violent far right. |
| “I condemn this act in sharpest terms. It is an attack on our free and democratic society,” Mr. Beuth told state lawmakers, who gathered to hold a moment of silence for the victims before canceling their planned session. Flags on public buildings across the state were ordered lowered to half-staff. | “I condemn this act in sharpest terms. It is an attack on our free and democratic society,” Mr. Beuth told state lawmakers, who gathered to hold a moment of silence for the victims before canceling their planned session. Flags on public buildings across the state were ordered lowered to half-staff. |
| Mr. Beuth said that the police, acting on tips from citizens and information from surveillance cameras, were able to identify the suspect within hours of the shooting late Wednesday. In the early hours of Thursday morning, special forces stormed his apartment where they found his body and that of his 72-year-old mother. Both had been shot, Mr. Beuth said. | Mr. Beuth said that the police, acting on tips from citizens and information from surveillance cameras, were able to identify the suspect within hours of the shooting late Wednesday. In the early hours of Thursday morning, special forces stormed his apartment where they found his body and that of his 72-year-old mother. Both had been shot, Mr. Beuth said. |
| Several streets were still blocked off with red-and-white police tape, as officers combed the crime scenes for evidence. A school and several day care centers in the area remained closed on Thursday, the city’s mayor said on Facebook. | Several streets were still blocked off with red-and-white police tape, as officers combed the crime scenes for evidence. A school and several day care centers in the area remained closed on Thursday, the city’s mayor said on Facebook. |
| The shootings took place at two bars, the Midnight and another establishment, the Arena Cafe & Bar, that were popular with young people from the city’s tight-knit Kurdish and Turkish communities. | The shootings took place at two bars, the Midnight and another establishment, the Arena Cafe & Bar, that were popular with young people from the city’s tight-knit Kurdish and Turkish communities. |
| “This is a mixed neighborhood. There are people from all over, Afghans, Syrians, Africans,” said Ismail Oezenc, who is unemployed and lives in central Hanau. He said the area used to be a lively center of night-life, but now the streets are lined with several electronic gaming halls and kebab shops. | “This is a mixed neighborhood. There are people from all over, Afghans, Syrians, Africans,” said Ismail Oezenc, who is unemployed and lives in central Hanau. He said the area used to be a lively center of night-life, but now the streets are lined with several electronic gaming halls and kebab shops. |
| The police had cordoned off the block around the Midnight Bar, which faces a pedestrian area lined with gaming parlors, kebab restaurants and small hotels. Fluorescent paint markings could be seen on the sidewalk, seemingly made by police officers securing evidence. | The police had cordoned off the block around the Midnight Bar, which faces a pedestrian area lined with gaming parlors, kebab restaurants and small hotels. Fluorescent paint markings could be seen on the sidewalk, seemingly made by police officers securing evidence. |
| Small groups of residents talked among themselves, but life in the neighborhood was already returning to normal. A gaming parlor several doors down from the shooting scene was already full of patrons. | Small groups of residents talked among themselves, but life in the neighborhood was already returning to normal. A gaming parlor several doors down from the shooting scene was already full of patrons. |
| An increasing number of attacks by violent far-right extremists have taken place in Germany in recent months, including the killing of a local politician who expressed support for refugees and an attack on a synagogue in Halle. | An increasing number of attacks by violent far-right extremists have taken place in Germany in recent months, including the killing of a local politician who expressed support for refugees and an attack on a synagogue in Halle. |
| Last week, the authorities broke up a suspected far-right terrorist network, arresting 12 people, including a member of the police force. | Last week, the authorities broke up a suspected far-right terrorist network, arresting 12 people, including a member of the police force. |
| Tarek Al Wazir, the economy minister for the state of Hesse, drew comparisons to Anders Brevik, who went on a rampage in Norway in 2011 that killed 77 people, and the attacker in Halle, saying that he believed the gunman appeared to have been self-radicalized. | Tarek Al Wazir, the economy minister for the state of Hesse, drew comparisons to Anders Brevik, who went on a rampage in Norway in 2011 that killed 77 people, and the attacker in Halle, saying that he believed the gunman appeared to have been self-radicalized. |
| “We know this from Islamic terrorism, that people radicalize over the Internet videos and in chat groups radicalize,” he told Germany’s n-tv news outlet. | “We know this from Islamic terrorism, that people radicalize over the Internet videos and in chat groups radicalize,” he told Germany’s n-tv news outlet. |
| The first attack took place at around 10 p.m. at the Midnight, a hookah bar — sometimes referred to as a shisha bar, named for the water pipes that are smoked on the premises — that was popular with young people from the local Kurdish and Turkish community. | The first attack took place at around 10 p.m. at the Midnight, a hookah bar — sometimes referred to as a shisha bar, named for the water pipes that are smoked on the premises — that was popular with young people from the local Kurdish and Turkish community. |
| Shortly afterward, residents in Hanau started posting warnings on social media with the license plate number of a car urging people to remain inside their homes. | Shortly afterward, residents in Hanau started posting warnings on social media with the license plate number of a car urging people to remain inside their homes. |
| German media cited witnesses who reported seeing a vehicle fleeing from the scene, and the police later said they were searching for “a dark car” in connection with the attack. | German media cited witnesses who reported seeing a vehicle fleeing from the scene, and the police later said they were searching for “a dark car” in connection with the attack. |
| The police said they were called to a different neighborhood in the city, and local media reported that more shots had been fired at the Arena Bar by a gunman who then fled the scene. At least nine people were killed at the two bars, another remained in serious condition and several others were injured, Mr. Beuth said. | The police said they were called to a different neighborhood in the city, and local media reported that more shots had been fired at the Arena Bar by a gunman who then fled the scene. At least nine people were killed at the two bars, another remained in serious condition and several others were injured, Mr. Beuth said. |
| “There were bodies lying on the ground,” said Mr. Kocak, the cashier, who added that most of the victims were men. “There was blood everywhere.” | “There were bodies lying on the ground,” said Mr. Kocak, the cashier, who added that most of the victims were men. “There was blood everywhere.” |
| “Our thoughts this morning are with the people in Hanau,” Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, wrote on Twitter. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families who are mourning their dead and we hope with the injured that they will heal soon.” | “Our thoughts this morning are with the people in Hanau,” Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, wrote on Twitter. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families who are mourning their dead and we hope with the injured that they will heal soon.” |
| “A terrible evening,” the mayor of Hanau, Claus Kaminsky, told the newspaper Bild. “It will certainly occupy us for a long, long time and it will remain in our sad memories.” | “A terrible evening,” the mayor of Hanau, Claus Kaminsky, told the newspaper Bild. “It will certainly occupy us for a long, long time and it will remain in our sad memories.” |
| Jack Ewing reported from Hanau, and Melissa Eddy from Berlin. Tiffany May and Austin Ramzy contributed reporting from Hong Kong. | Jack Ewing reported from Hanau, and Melissa Eddy from Berlin. Tiffany May and Austin Ramzy contributed reporting from Hong Kong. |