The death toll in a rampage in Germany is up to 11, with the gunman and his mother among the casualties of a massacre fueled by the shooter’s racist, right-wing extremist views, ABC News reported Thursday.
The mass shooting in the small Frankfurt suburb of Hanau was carried out Wednesday by a 43-year-old man identified only as Tobias R, the news outlet reported.
ABC News reported shots were fired at two separate hookah bars about a mile apart. The nine killed in the bar shootings ranged in age from 21-44 and were foreign and German nationals. Kemal Aydin, Turkey's ambassador to Berlin, told reporters five Turkish nationals were among those killed, ABC News reported.
The suspected gunman was later found dead at his home, where police also found another dead body they identified as the suspect's 72-year-old mother. Both died from gunshot wounds, officials said. A firearm found next to the suspect, ABC News reported.
The suspect's father was found unharmed by police outside the home.
According to authorities, the rampage appears to have been fueled by racist, far-right views.
"Racism is poison, hatred is poison and this poison exists in society and it is to blame for far too many crimes," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday morning, ABC News reported.
"There are many indications at the moment that the perpetrator acted on right-wing extremist, racist motives, out of hatred towards people of other origins, religions and appearance."
The investigation of the massacre is now headed by the German Federal Prosecutor's Office, and the officials are combing through a video the suspect posted online in which he allegedly expressed right-wing conspiracy theories, German Public Prosecutor General Peter Frank said, ABC News reported.
Investigators are also examining documents believed to have been written by the suspect.
"In addition to confused thoughts and conspiracy theories, [the video and writing] shows deeply racist attitudes," Frank said, ABC News reported. "That is why I have taken over the investigation in this case."
The shooting comes less than three years after an 18-year-old gunman killed nine people at a shopping mall in Munich before taking his own life. Bavarian authorities said the July 2016 attack was "politically motivated" and that the teen had "radical right-wing and racist views,” ABC News reported.
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