A gunman with suspected far-right links shot dead nine people, some of them migrants from Turkey, in an overnight rampage through a German city before killing himself, officials said.
Joe Davies reports.
Right-wing extremist behind deadly German gun rampage: officials
Germany is reeling after nine people were shot dead in two shisha bars on Wednesday (February 19) night.
Police suspect a right-wing extremist was responsible for the shootings in Hanau, near Frankfurt.
He was from very same town where he carried out his killings.
Some of the victims were migrants from Turkey.
On Wednesday morning, a black BMW believed to belong to the suspect was removed from the house where it's thought the gunman returned before killing his mother and then himself.
According to reports in the German media, ammunition and gun magazines were found inside the car - and the suspect had a firearms hunting license.
The interior minister of the German state of Hesse, gave an update on the investigation.
(SOUNDBITE) (German) HESSE STATE INTERIOR MINISTER, PETER BEUTH, SAYING: "First evaluation results of the suspect's website point to a xenophobic motive.
The car's owner is a 43-year-old German man from Hanau.
The car was found at the owner's address.
When police special forces entered the house two more dead people were found.
One was the 72-year-old mother and the suspect himself.
Both had gunshot wounds.
The murder weapon was found alongside the suspect." (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "My thoughts are now with the families and friends of those killed.
No one can know how much suffering the perpetrator has brought to them.
I mourn with them and I express my sincere condolences.
I hope that the sympathy of countless people across Germany and beyond may give them some strength." A strong police presence remained outside the scene of the shootings on Wednesday.
Why the victims were killed in this gun rampage - and whether anything could have been done to prevent it - will be now be the subject of an intense investigation.