Hanau shootings: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 50°07′59″N 08°54′48″E / 50.13306°N 8.91333°E / 50.13306; 8.91333
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== Victims ==
== Victims ==
The nine people killed by the attacker during the two shootings were identified as two German-[[Kurds in Germany|Kurds]], two [[Turkey|Turks]], an [[Afghanistan|Afghan]], a [[Bosnians|Bosnian]], a [[Bulgarians in Germany|Bulgarian]], a [[Romanians|Romanian]], and a German woman of [[Sinti]] origins.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hessenschau.de/gesellschaft/opfer-des-anschlags-neun-junge-hanauer-mitten-aus-dem-leben-gerissen,opfer-hanau-anschlag-100.html|title=Opfer des Anschlags: Neun junge Hanauer, mitten aus dem Leben gerissen|first=hessenschau de, Frankfurt|last=Germany|date=21 February 2020|website=hessenschau.de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/02/20/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-shooting-the-town.html|title=Germany's Immigrant Community in Hanau Reeling After Attack|last=Associate Press|date=20 February 2020|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/b5736c3dba1d677e89ef947bcf5ab213|title=German gunman calling for genocide kills 9 people|date=20 February 2020|website=AP NEWS}}</ref> The owner of one of the bars was among the victims.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/20/bar-staff-and-pregnant-woman-reportedly-among-hanau-victims|title=Bar staff and pregnant woman reportedly among Hanau victims|first1=Kate|last1=Connolly|first2=Bethan|last2=McKernan|publisher=The Guardian|date=20 February 2020}}</ref> Three immediately died in the first shooting, five immediately died in the second,<ref name="dw">{{cite web |title=Mehrere Menschen im hessischen Hanau erschossen - Täter möglicherweise flüchtig |url=https://www.dw.com/de/mehrere-menschen-im-hessischen-hanau-erschossen-t%C3%A4ter-m%C3%B6glicherweise-fl%C3%BCchtig/a-52438048 |website=[[Deutsche Welle]] |accessdate=19 February 2020}}</ref> and a ninth victim died in hospital the next day.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Nadine|last2=Gray|first2=Melissa|last3=Davis|first3=A.J.|last4=Rappard|first4=Anna-Maja|url= https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/19/europe/hanau-germany-shootings-intl/index.html |title= Nine killed at two shisha bars in Germany in suspected far-right attack|website=CNN|date=20 February 2020|access-date=20 February 2020|}}</ref> The attacker's German mother was also killed after the bar shootings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51577196|title=Police probe whether racist German killer had help|website=BBC News|date=20 February 2020}}</ref>
The nine people killed by the attacker during the two shootings were identified as two Germans of [[Kurds in Germany|Kurdish heritage]], two Turks, an Afghan, a Bosnian, a [[Bulgarians in Germany|Bulgarian]], a Romanian, and a German woman of [[Sinti]] origins.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hessenschau.de/gesellschaft/opfer-des-anschlags-neun-junge-hanauer-mitten-aus-dem-leben-gerissen,opfer-hanau-anschlag-100.html|title=Opfer des Anschlags: Neun junge Hanauer, mitten aus dem Leben gerissen|first=hessenschau de, Frankfurt|last=Germany|date=21 February 2020|website=hessenschau.de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/02/20/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-shooting-the-town.html|title=Germany's Immigrant Community in Hanau Reeling After Attack|last=Associate Press|date=20 February 2020|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/b5736c3dba1d677e89ef947bcf5ab213|title=German gunman calling for genocide kills 9 people|date=20 February 2020|website=AP NEWS}}</ref> The owner of one of the bars was among the victims.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/20/bar-staff-and-pregnant-woman-reportedly-among-hanau-victims|title=Bar staff and pregnant woman reportedly among Hanau victims|first1=Kate|last1=Connolly|first2=Bethan|last2=McKernan|publisher=The Guardian|date=20 February 2020}}</ref> Three immediately died in the first shooting, five immediately died in the second,<ref name="dw">{{cite web |title=Mehrere Menschen im hessischen Hanau erschossen - Täter möglicherweise flüchtig |url=https://www.dw.com/de/mehrere-menschen-im-hessischen-hanau-erschossen-t%C3%A4ter-m%C3%B6glicherweise-fl%C3%BCchtig/a-52438048 |website=[[Deutsche Welle]] |accessdate=19 February 2020}}</ref> and a ninth victim died in hospital the next day.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Nadine|last2=Gray|first2=Melissa|last3=Davis|first3=A.J.|last4=Rappard|first4=Anna-Maja|url= https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/19/europe/hanau-germany-shootings-intl/index.html |title= Nine killed at two shisha bars in Germany in suspected far-right attack|website=CNN|date=20 February 2020|access-date=20 February 2020|}}</ref> The attacker's German mother was also killed after the bar shootings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51577196|title=Police probe whether racist German killer had help|website=BBC News|date=20 February 2020}}</ref>


Two Turkish-Germans, an Afghan-German and a [[Cameroon]]ian were among the five people injured.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merkur.de/politik/hanau-video-zeuge-terror-flucht-attentaeter-schuesse-verdacht-schiesserei-anschlag-zr-13549464.html|title=Hanau-Morde: Zeuge schildert die schrecklichen Szenen - Video von Überwachungskamera aufgetaucht|date=22 February 2020|website=merkur.de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51586283|title=Germany boosts security against far-right threat|date=21 February 2020|website=BBC News}}</ref>
Two Turkish-Germans, an Afghan-German and a [[Cameroon]]ian were among the five people injured.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merkur.de/politik/hanau-video-zeuge-terror-flucht-attentaeter-schuesse-verdacht-schiesserei-anschlag-zr-13549464.html|title=Hanau-Morde: Zeuge schildert die schrecklichen Szenen - Video von Überwachungskamera aufgetaucht|date=22 February 2020|website=merkur.de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51586283|title=Germany boosts security against far-right threat|date=21 February 2020|website=BBC News}}</ref>

Revision as of 17:03, 23 February 2020

2020 Hanau shootings
Part of Right-wing terrorism in Europe
LocationHanau, Hesse, Germany
CoordinatesFirst crime scene: 50°07′59″N 08°54′48″E / 50.13306°N 8.91333°E / 50.13306; 8.91333
Date19 February 2020 (2020-02-19)
22:00 CET (UTC+01:00)
TargetImmigrants
Attack type
Mass shooting, spree shooting, terrorism, hate crime, murder–suicide
WeaponsSemi-automatic pistol (Glock)[1]
Deaths11 (including the perpetrator)
Injured5
PerpetratorTobias Rathjen
MotiveFar-right extremism
Neo-Nazism[2][3]
Xenophobia

On 19 February 2020, nine people were killed and five others wounded in a shooting spree by a far-right extremist targeting two shisha bars in Hanau, Hesse, Germany. After the attacks, the gunman returned to his apartment, where he killed his mother and then commited suicide.

The massacre was called an act of terrorism by the German minister of Internal Affairs.[4]

Shootings

The shootings took place at around 22:00 local time (UTC+1) on 19 February 2020, in two shisha bars—one at the Midnight Bar in Hanau's central square, and the other at the Arena Bar & Café in Kesselstadt. Reports showed that both bars are mostly frequented by Turkish citizens.[5][6][7] The attacker first started aiming at three guests, followed by the waiter who had just served them.[8] The police initiated a large-scale investigation.[9] It was initially reported that the suspects were at large.[10] The gunman, later identified as Tobias Rathjen, then drove home where he shot his mother while his father was able to escape.[8] He then shot himself.[8] He and his mother were discovered by police at 05:15 the next day when they gained entry.[11]

Victims

The nine people killed by the attacker during the two shootings were identified as two Germans of Kurdish heritage, two Turks, an Afghan, a Bosnian, a Bulgarian, a Romanian, and a German woman of Sinti origins.[12][13][14] The owner of one of the bars was among the victims.[15] Three immediately died in the first shooting, five immediately died in the second,[16] and a ninth victim died in hospital the next day.[17] The attacker's German mother was also killed after the bar shootings.[18]

Two Turkish-Germans, an Afghan-German and a Cameroonian were among the five people injured.[19][20]

Perpetrator

The gunman was identified as 43-year-old Tobias Rathjen, a far-right extremist.[2][3] He published a manifesto and videos on his personal website, showing his political beliefs and theories surrounding US president Donald Trump stealing his slogans,[21] eugenics, and expressing frustration that he could never experience an intimate relationship with a woman due to psychological issues during his lifetime.[22] He stated that he had been guided by voices inside his head since birth and that he was being followed by secret agents.[23] Rathjen expressed a hatred for foreigners and called for a mass killing of people from the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa.[24][25]

Near the Arena Bar, text linked to the perpetrator's website was found written in graffiti on a wall before it was covered over by police.[26]

According to Germany’s general prosecutor Peter Frank, Rathjen had contacted German authorities with his conspiracy theories three months before the attack: on 6 November 2019, Rathjen had written a letter to the Public Prosecutor General urging action against a "secret service" organisation, which he claimed was tapping into people's brains to control world events. He called on authorities to “approach me and communicate with me”. No action was taken in response. Parts of this 19-page letter were virtually identical to his 24-page manifesto published on his website in February 2020, but it was unclear whether it included any threats against ethnic minorities.[23][26]

Investigation

Federal prosecutors are treating the attack as terrorism, with officials saying there is evidence the gunman was a far-right extremist, as well as signs of xenophobic motives for the killings.[10] Peter Beuth, the Minister of the Interior in the state of Hesse, stated on 20 February that a homepage found by investigators indicated a right-wing political motive for the shootings.[27] Prosecutors said the perpetrator was not previously known as an extremist by authorities.[28] A letter and a video clip of a confession were reportedly discovered and are being analysed by the police.[29]

Reactions

As a result of the shootings, German Chancellor Angela Merkel cancelled a planned trip to Halle and expressed her condolences to the victims' families.[30] The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, also offered condolences.[31] Some Turkish citizens were reportedly among the victims of the shooting, and as such, the Turkish government described it as a form of racism and have urged for a prompt investigation.[32] German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his wife Elke Büdenbender, and the Hesse State Premier Volker Bouffier attended a vigil at one of the shooting sites.[33][34]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hanau-Attentäter bestellte Tatwaffe in Onlineshop". RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Has Germany done enough to tackle far-right violence?". BBC News. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b Hume, Tim (29 February 2020). "'Not a Classical Neo-Nazi': What We Know About the German Hookah Bar Terrorist". Vice News. Instead, judging by the material he posted online, Tobias Rathjen appears to have been driven by a toxic mix of racist, conspiracist, and incel ideology, and likely suffered from serious mental health problems, experts say.
  4. ^ "Yes, the massacre in Hanau was terror".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Oltermann, Philip; Connolly, Kate (20 February 2020). "Germany shooting: far-right gunman kills 10 in Hanau". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Mehrere Menschen sterben durch Schüsse in Hanau". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Germany shooting: 'Far-right extremist' carried out shisha bars attacks". BBC News. 20 February 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Oltermann, Philip; Harding, Luke; McKernan, Bethan (20 February 2020). "'He shot our children': how the Hanau attack unfolded". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  9. ^ "POL-OF: Großfahndung der Polizei in Hanau". presseportal.de (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Germany shooting: Nine dead after two attacks on Hanau shisha bars". BBC News. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Eleven dead, including suspect, after Hanau attacks – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  12. ^ Germany, hessenschau de, Frankfurt (21 February 2020). "Opfer des Anschlags: Neun junge Hanauer, mitten aus dem Leben gerissen". hessenschau.de.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Associate Press (20 February 2020). "Germany's Immigrant Community in Hanau Reeling After Attack". The New York Times.
  14. ^ "German gunman calling for genocide kills 9 people". AP NEWS. 20 February 2020.
  15. ^ Connolly, Kate; McKernan, Bethan (20 February 2020). "Bar staff and pregnant woman reportedly among Hanau victims". The Guardian.
  16. ^ "Mehrere Menschen im hessischen Hanau erschossen - Täter möglicherweise flüchtig". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  17. ^ Schmidt, Nadine; Gray, Melissa; Davis, A.J.; Rappard, Anna-Maja (20 February 2020). "Nine killed at two shisha bars in Germany in suspected far-right attack". CNN. Retrieved 20 February 2020. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  18. ^ "Police probe whether racist German killer had help". BBC News. 20 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Hanau-Morde: Zeuge schildert die schrecklichen Szenen - Video von Überwachungskamera aufgetaucht". merkur.de. 22 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Germany boosts security against far-right threat". BBC News. 21 February 2020.
  21. ^ Bostock, Bill. "The mass shooter who killed 9 in Germany published a racist manifesto where he identified as an incel and accused Trump of stealing his populist slogans". Insider.
  22. ^ "Terror in Hanau: Die kranke rassistische Gedankenwelt des Tobias R." RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  23. ^ a b Connolly, Kate; Oltermann, Philip (20 February 2020). "Hanau attack reveals 'poison' of racism in Germany, says Merkel". The Guardian.
  24. ^ Farrell, Paul (20 February 2020). "Tobias Rathjen: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know".
  25. ^ Moody, Oliver (20 February 2020). "Germans slow to tackle far‑right threat". The Times. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Hanau: Germany boosts security amid far-right threat". BBC News. 21 February 2020. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020. Germany will deploy extra police to protect mosques, railway stations, airports and other sensitive sites because of a "very high" far-right threat following the Hanau killings, the interior minister says.
  27. ^ "Hessens Innenminister sieht Hinweise auf rassistische Gesinnung". Der Spiegel (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  28. ^ "Was bislang über die Tat in Hanau bekannt ist". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  29. ^ "Suspect, 1 Other Found Dead After 9 People Killed in Germany".
  30. ^ Nadine Schmidt; Sheena McKenzie. "Nine killed at two shisha bars in Germany in suspected far-right attack". CNN News.
  31. ^ "Germany shootings: Federal prosecutors take over Hanau investigation — live updates". Deutsche Welle.
  32. ^ "Germany in shock and rage: reactions to the shooting in Hanau". Deutsche Welle. 20 February 2020.
  33. ^ "Vigils across Germany after Hanau shooting". Deutsche Welle. 20 February 2020.
  34. ^ Kaschel, Helena (21 February 2020). "Shootings in Hanau: 'We aren't safe anywhere'". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020. A day after a gunman killed nine people with an immigrant background in Hanau, the western German city is grappling with anger, fear and mourning.
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