Jump to content

Hanau shootings

Coordinates: 50°07′59″N 08°54′48″E / 50.13306°N 8.91333°E / 50.13306; 8.91333
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2601:18a:c680:e780:b537:d4fe:9397:872d (talk) at 06:07, 22 February 2020. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

2020 Hanau shootings
Part of terrorism in Germany
LocationHanau, Hesse, Germany
Coordinates50°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
WeaponsGlock 17 9×19mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol[1]
Deaths11 (including the perpetrator)
Injured5
PerpetratorTobias Rathjen
MotiveFar-right extremism, xenophobia, paranoia, development of time travel, the prevention of human suffering by preventing the development of life on Earth millions of years ago.

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

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 Mühlheim am Main. Reports showed that both bars are mostly frequented by Turkish citizens.[2][3][4] The attacker first started aiming at three guests, followed by the waiter who had just served them.[5] The police initiated a large-scale investigation.[6] It was initially reported that the suspects were at large.[7] 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 dead by police at 05:15 the next day when they gained entry.[9]

Victims

Nine people were killed by the attacker during the two shisha bar shootings: they were identified as five Turks and Kurds with Turkish nationality, a German woman of Sinti origins, a Bosnian, a Bulgarian and a Romanian.[10][11] The owner of one of the bars was among the victims.[12] Three immediately died in the first shooting, five immediately died in the second,[13] and a ninth victim died in hospital the next day.[14] The attacker's German mother was also killed after the shootings.[15]

Perpetrator

The gunman was identified as 43-year-old Tobias Rathjen, a far-right extremist and neo-Nazi.[16][17] He published a manifesto and videos on his personal website, showing his political beliefs and theories surrounding US president Donald Trump stealing his slogans,[18] eugenics and expressing frustration that he could never experience an intimate relationship with a woman due to his psychological issues during his lifetime.[19] He expressed a hatred for foreigners and called for a mass killing of people from the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa.[20][21] 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.[22]

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.[7] 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.[23] Prosecutors said the perpetrator was not previously known as an extremist by authorities.[24] A letter and a video clip of a confession were reportedly discovered and are being analysed by the police.[25]

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.[26] The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, also offered condolences.[27] 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.[28] The German President, alongside his wife and Hesse State Premier, were sighted close to one of the shooting areas, mourning with the people by laying wreaths. Flowers and candles were also set out by mourners.[29][30]

References

  1. ^ "Hanau-Attentäter bestellte Tatwaffe in Onlineshop". RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ SPIEGEL, DER. "Mehrere Menschen sterben durch Schüsse in Hanau - DER SPIEGEL - Panorama". www.spiegel.de (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Germany shooting: 'Far-right extremist' carried out shisha bars attacks". BBC News. 20 February 2020.
  5. ^ "'He shot our children': how the Hanau attack unfolded".
  6. ^ "POL-OF: Großfahndung der Polizei in Hanau". presseportal.de (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Germany shooting: Nine dead after two attacks on Hanau shisha bars". bbc.com. BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  8. ^ a b 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. ^ "Eleven dead, including suspect, after Hanau attacks – as it happened". theguardian.com. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  10. ^ Press, The Associated (20 February 2020). "Germany's Immigrant Community in Hanau Reeling After Attack". The New York Times.
  11. ^ "German gunman calling for genocide kills 9 people". AP NEWS. 20 February 2020.
  12. ^ Connolly, Kate; McKernan, Bethan (20 February 2020). "Bar staff and pregnant woman reportedly among Hanau victims". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "Mehrere Menschen im hessischen Hanau erschossen - Täter möglicherweise flüchtig". dw.com. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  14. ^ 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)
  15. ^ "Police probe whether racist German killer had help". BBC News. 20 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Has Germany done enough to tackle far-right violence?". BBC News. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Terror in Hanau: Die kranke rassistische Gedankenwelt des Tobias R." RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  20. ^ Farrell, Paul (20 February 2020). "Tobias Rathjen: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know".
  21. ^ Moody, Oliver (20 February 2020). "Germans slow to tackle far‑right threat". The Times. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Hanau: Germany boosts security amid far-right threat". BBC News. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  23. ^ "Hessens Innenminister sieht Hinweise auf rassistische Gesinnung". Der Spiegel (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  24. ^ "Was bislang über die Tat in Hanau bekannt ist". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  25. ^ "Suspect, 1 Other Found Dead After 9 People Killed in Germany".
  26. ^ Nadine Schmidt; Sheena McKenzie. "Nine killed at two shisha bars in Germany in suspected far-right attack". CNN News.
  27. ^ Welle, Deutsche. "Germany shootings: Federal prosecutors take over Hanau investigation — live updates". DW.COM.
  28. ^ "Germany in shock and rage: reactions to the shooting in Hanau".
  29. ^ "Vigils across Germany after Hanau shooting".
  30. ^ "Shooting in Hanau: 'We aren't safe anywhere'".
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hanau_shootings&oldid=942039758"