German police are investigating a shooting at a shisha bar in Hamburg after an unidentified attacker fired repeatedly at the building early Sunday morning.
The attack targeted the Keyf Lounge on Grindelallee in Hamburg’s Rotherbaum district at around 5 a.m. Police found at least eight cartridge cases outside the premises, according to German public broadcaster NDR. No one was injured.
The gunman escaped and a police search of the surrounding area failed to locate a suspect.
The investigation has now taken a potentially more serious turn.
NDR reports that investigators are examining connections between a businessman associated with the lounge and organized crime. The businessman was also reportedly a business partner of a former Hamburg police officer who has been missing since April.
The former officer disappeared after telling his girlfriend that he would return shortly from the area around Krupunder See in Halstenbek. Investigators believe a crime may have occurred and have not ruled out the possibility that he was killed.
Police are also investigating other recent shootings in Hamburg.
Bullet holes were discovered at a food business on Bramfelder Straße, while another shooting incident was reported at an Iranian bank in central Hamburg. Authorities are examining whether any of the incidents could be connected.
The series of incidents has increased concern over gun violence in the city. Hamburg’s police union has called for a clearer assessment of shootings linked to criminal groups and stronger coordination between authorities.
For now, police have not publicly established a direct connection between the Keyf Lounge shooting, the missing former officer and the other recent attacks. The investigation remains ongoing.
