Hamburg police were tipped off about gunman, but did not take his weapon
Officers were told of concerns about mental health of man who went on to shoot dead four men, two women and an unborn baby
Police in Hamburg received an anonymous tipoff two months ago about the gunman who went on to kill seven people in a Jehovah’s Witness hall, but he had persuaded them not to take away his gun.
A letter was received in January raising concerns about the mental health of Philipp F, 35, and his purchase of ammunition, but officers found no reason for concern when they visited him last month.
He went on to shoot dead four men and two women aged 33 to 60 and an unborn baby during a rampage that started at 9pm on Thursday evening, that has also left eight injured, four seriously.
The gunman killed himself with his weapon as police officers sought to talk him into surrendering after chasing him up to the first story of the the three-story pebble-dashed building near Hamburg’s city centre.
“He is a former member of Jehovah’s Witnesses who left the community voluntarily about a year and a half ago, but apparently not on good terms,” said Thomas Radszuweit, Hamburg’s head of state security.
The suspect had a gun permit as a marksman and was in legal possession of a Heckler & Koch P30 gun.
He was visited in February after the anonymous letter was received that had suggested that the business consultant was suffering from mental ill health.
During a subsequent visit, Philipp F convinced the officers that there was no cause for concern.
Police chief Ralf Martin Meyer told a press conference that there had been no legal grounds to take away the man’s weapon.