Deadly Shooting at German Jehovah's Witness Hall Kills at Least 7

    Photo: The Guardian

    The Facts

    • At least seven people were killed in a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in the German city of Hamburg on Thursday night.

    • The gunman shot and killed six worshippers before taking his own life. Eight people were also wounded in the shooting, including a woman who was 28 weeks pregnant and lost the baby. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the death toll may rise.


    The Spin

    Left narrative

    While gun control laws in Germany are already strict, more needs to be done to save lives and keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people. The police were previously tipped off about the shooter and failed to screen him properly. This isn't the only mass shooting in recent years, and the recent threat of an armed coup underlines the importance of stringent gun regulations and mental health screenings.

    Right narrative

    While this shooting is a tragedy and shouldn't have happened, the police did their due diligence and acted quickly to deter the shooter. The weapons authority was tipped off about the suspect and followed through appropriately but didn't find any evidence that he was physically or psychologically unsuitable to own a firearm. While this particular case needs to be investigated, this doesn't mean that the laws need to change.


    Political split

    LEFT

    RIGHT

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