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German police met the perpetrators of the mass shooting a month ago . Photo/Newsweek
BERLIN – The perpetrator who shot dead seven people in German was visited by the police last month. This was done after the security forces received worrying information about his mental health.
Hamburg Police Chief Ralf Martin Meyer said officers visited the man in February after they received an anonymous letter stating that he had particular anger towards religious adherents, in particular towards Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The letter also said he may have a mental illness, even though it has not been medically diagnosed.
Police said he was cooperative and had open conversations with officers so there was no reason for police to confiscate his weapons.
The 35-year-old suspect, named Philipp F, has a license to own weapons for sporting purposes.
“The bottom line is that anonymous information where someone says they are concerned someone may have a psychological illness does not in itself constitute a basis for such (such) action,” Meyer said.
Officers said the suspect “had a bad feeling” towards the religious community, of which he was previously a member before leaving “on bad terms”.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement, which was founded in the US in the late 19th century.
In its latest report from 2022, the movement says there are an estimated 8.7 million of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany. In the city of Hamburg there are believed to be nearly 4,000 members.
