UPDATE - Gunman kills 7, injures several in German city of Hamburg

UPDATES WITH DEATH TOLL, ADDS REPORTS ON GUNMAN’S IDENTITY; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; EDITS THROUGHOUT

BERLIN (AA) - At least eight people, including the suspect, were killed in a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness center in the northern German city of Hamburg on Thursday night.

Police spokesman Holger Vehren said officers arrived at the scene a few minutes after receiving a call about a possible shooting, and found several people dead or seriously wounded on the first floor.

“Police officers then heard a gunshot from an upper floor and found a fatally wounded person,” he said, adding that they assume he could be the perpetrator.

According to the Bild daily, the gunman killed at least seven people and wounded eight others at the Jehovah's Witness center. A pregnant woman and her baby were among the victims.

Seventeen other people were evacuated unharmed from the building, according to local media reports.

Authorities have not indicated a motive for the shooting but said investigations are ongoing. A press conference was scheduled for noon local time Friday.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that the gunman was identified by the police as Philipp F., a former member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The 35-year-old was not known to authorities as an extremist, according to the report.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed sorrow for the victims, in a statement posted on Twitter on Friday.

“Several members of a Jehovah's community fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night. My thoughts are with them and their families,” he said.