Unidentified gunmen shot dead at least eight people in the city of Hanau, close to Frankfurt, in Germany late on Wednesday, Deutsche Welle reported. The shootings took place at two sheesha bars around 10 pm local time (2.30 am Indian Standard Time Thursday), the police said.
The attackers opened fire at the first sheesha bar in Hanau’s downtown, killing three people. They then proceeded to the neighborhood of Kesselstadt and opened fire at the second sheesha bar, killing five. The shootings left five people injured.
The motive behind the shootings is not clear. Authorities have sealed off the areas while a police hunt is on to find the suspects. “The search for the perpetrators is in full swing,” a police spokesperson said.
Witnesses reported hearing about a dozen shots at the first sheesha bar, AFP reported. The attackers then fled by car to the second sheesha bar, where they again opened fire. The two bars were identified as Midnight and Arena Bar & Cafe.
The shooting took place just days after a similar attack in Berlin, which killed one person. In October, a anti-Semitic gun attack in the eastern city of Halle had left two people dead. The shooting was streamed live.
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