“It is hard to put into words what terrible happened here”

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) expressed her condolences to the victims, relatives, friends and acquaintances after the deadly shots in Hamburg. It was "hard to put into words what terrible happened here," said Faeser on Friday afternoon during a visit to the crime scene in Hamburg. She wished the injured a “speedy recovery”.

After a discussion with representatives of the emergency services involved, the Federal Minister of the Interior was "deeply moved". At the same time, she was "deeply impressed by how great this assignment worked here". Faeser said that by being on site so quickly, the police and special forces saved the lives of many people.

According to the Hamburg police, a man shot at members of the religious community in a prayer house of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Groß Borstel district on Thursday evening. Eight people died, including the alleged perpetrator.

Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) also wants to visit the crime scene in Alsterdorf on Friday evening. He will be accompanied by Second Mayor Katharina Fegebank (Greens) and Interior Senator Grote, as the Senate press office announced on Friday. Tschentscher wants to speak to emergency services on site.

There were many sympathy on Friday, one of them came from the USA. The US government condemned the killing spree. The State Department in Washington announced this in writing on Friday. The ministry expresses its condolences to the families of the victims, its spokesman Ned Price said. No one should have to fear for their safety at a place of prayer, it said. Such acts of violence have no place in any society. "We stand in solidarity with the people of Germany and promise our support to help if necessary," the statement said.

In response to the shooting, Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg also expressed his condolences to the families of the dead on Friday. "My thoughts and feelings now go to all those, of course to the dead, but also to those who leave them behind, but also to those who are now at their side," he said on the sidelines of an event in Frankfurt am Main video message.

Messages of condolence also come from the world of sport. HSV coach Tim Walter was shocked by the fatal shots. “These are very, very terrible events. It's hard to understand that there is something like this in the world," said the 47-year-old on Friday at the press conference for Hamburg's second division game on Sunday (1.30 p.m. / Sky) at Karlsruher SC. "It's clear that we are all very, very upset. Our sympathy goes to the relatives and, above all, get well soon to the injured, who were also hit hard."

Walter stressed that as footballers, despite the events, they had to concentrate on their jobs. "It is difficult. Still, we have to do our job," he said.

HSV, like league and city rivals FC St. Pauli, had already expressed their sympathy in tweets in the morning. "A terrible act shook Hamburg and also us. Think of the victims, wish the families, relatives and friends a lot of strength and hope "that the injured will recover quickly," tweeted the HSV.

FC St. Pauli wrote: "We are shocked by the terrible act of violence in the north of Hamburg. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.” Before the second division game on Saturday (1 p.m.) against SpVgg. Greuther Fürth there will be a minute's silence, the club announced.