Germany: Hanau attacker acted alone, investigators find

The perpetrator of a killing spree in the city of Hanau last year acted alone, German prosecutors announced on Thursday following almost two years of investigations.

The conclusion from the Office of the Federal Prosecutor in Karlsruhe was that 43-year-old far-right extremist Tobias R. — who killed nine people with migrant roots, as well as his mother and himself on February 19, 2020 — did not have any accomplices.

"After exhausting all relevant investigative approaches, no sufficient factual indications of the involvement of further persons as accomplices, instigators or accessories have emerged," the office said.

Attack motivated by racism

The shooter targeted two shisha bars frequented by people with Middle Eastern and Asian backgrounds near the central German city of Frankfurt.

The prosecutors were clear that the violence was "motivated by racism." The attacker is believed to have been driven by paranoid racist conspiracy theories.

The victims included people with Turkis, Bulgarian, Romanian and Afghan backgrounds, as well as a German Roma. Several others were injured.

The attack in Hanau is one of several carried out by far-right extremists that have rocked Germany over recent years.

The issue was highlighted by the newly appointed Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who said she would prioritize the fight against far-right extremism. Faeser hails from Hesse, the state where Frankfurt is located.

Further questions remain

The conclusion by the prosecutors has brought the investigation into the attack to closure.

"In total, more than 400 witnesses were questioned and several hundred pieces of evidence were examined by forensic experts," prosecutors said.

"No indications have emerged that other persons could have been privy to Tobias R.'s attack plans," they concluded.

Relatives of the victims accused the perpetrator's father of having known about his son's plans; but investigators found that he had not known of the attack "in any way relevant to criminal law."

Nevertheless, questions still remain over whether enough was done to prevent the attack in the first place, or whether authorities may have made mistakes.

Hesse's state parliament is currently investigating this latter question.

ab/msh (AFP, dpa)