A week and a half after the shooting by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hamburg, which left eight dead, an ecumenical prayer service will be held on Sunday afternoon to commemorate the victims. According to the initiators, the event in the main church of St. Petri is intended to provide space for mourning and comfort.
The offer applies primarily to the approximately 1,000 emergency services who were deployed on Thursday and Friday of the previous week, as well as to residents of the Groß Borstel district where the tragedy occurred. The commemoration should not and cannot replace a funeral service for Jehovah’s Witnesses, it said.
The organizers are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany, the Archdiocese of Hamburg and the Working Group of Christian Churches. Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) is also expected. According to the information, the Jehovah’s Witnesses support the funeral service, but want to go their own way for a funeral service according to their Christian principles.
None of the injured are in mortal danger
More than a week ago, a 35-year-old German in the north of Hamburg killed seven people – including an unborn child – with shots from a semi-automatic pistol and then killed himself. Nine people were injured. As it became known on Friday, none of them are in mortal danger anymore.
A book of condolences has been available in Hamburg City Hall since this Saturday. On the first day, several people took the opportunity to express their condolences to the victims’ relatives by making entries. According to the city administration, this is possible for a week between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The book will be handed over to those affected in due course.
