German mass shooting treated as far-right terrorist act

BERLIN (AA) - The xenophobic attack that killed nine people in Hanau, western Germany is being officially treated as a "terrorist act," said state authorities on Thursday.

Initial police findings showed that the perpetrator was acting with “xenophobic motives,” Peter Beuth, the interior minister of Hesse, the state where the attack took place, told reporters on Thursday.

Five Turkish nationals were among the victims, Ali Kemal Aydin, Turkey’s ambassador to Germany, later told reporters.

Tobias R., 43, the suspected far-right terrorist who targeted migrants at two cafes in Hanau, near Frankfurt, and one other person were found dead in an apartment following a German special operations raid.

- Steinmeier condemns attack

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the attack and called for solidarity with everyone threatened by racists.

"I was horrified to hear about the terrorist act of violence in Hanau," he said in a written statement on Thursday, expressing sorrow and sympathy for the victims.

"I stand with everyone who is threatened by racist hatred. They are not alone," he stressed.

"I am convinced: The majority of people living in Germany are condemning these acts and any sort of racism, hatred, and violence," he added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel cancelled her scheduled meetings on Thursday in the wake of the attack.

Hanau is located around 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Frankfurt and has a population of nearly 100,000, including more than 15,000 people with migrant backgrounds.