Eight die in German mass shooting

A shooting at a Jehovah's Witness centre in the German city of Hamburg has left eight people dead, including the suspected gunman, police said Friday, as the motive for the attack remained unclear.

Several more people were wounded in the attack late Thursday at the Kingdom Hall building in the port city of Hamburg, where Jehovah's Witness members were attending a religious service.

"Eight people were fatally injured, apparently including the suspected perpetrator," Hamburg police said, adding that several other people were hurt, "some seriously".

German media put the number of wounded people at eight.

News weekly Der Spiegel reported that the suspected attacker was a former member of the Jehovah's Witness community who was not a known extremist.

The magazine, which did not cite its sources, said he had been armed with a handgun.

Best-selling newspaper Bild named the suspect as 35-year-old "Philipp F." and said he killed himself after police stormed the building.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the "brutal act of violence" and said his thoughts were with the victims and their loved ones.

The Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany association said it was "deeply saddened by the horrific attack on its members".

Hamburg police are due to give an update at a press conference around midday and urged people not to speculate about the motive behind the shooting.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said investigators were "working flat-out to determine the background" to the attack.

The first emergency calls were made around 9:15 pm (2015 GMT) on Thursday after shots rang out at the building in the city's northern district of Gross Borstel.