A German far-right extremist killed at least nine people on Wednesday night in the western town of Hanau, near Frankfurt. The perpetrator, who targeted migrants at two cafes, was identified by security forces as 43-year-old Tobias R., German daily Bild reported. He and one other person were found dead in an apartment in Hanau following a raid by a German special operations team. Hesse's Interior Minister Peter Beuth told reporters on Thursday that initial findings in the police investigation showed that the perpetrator was acting with 'xenophobic motives.'
"The Federal Public Prosecutor has taken over the investigation. It is treating this as a suspected incident of a terrorist attack," he said.
Several Turkish citizens were feared to be among the victims, though this has not yet been officially confirmed.
Hanau is located around 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Frankfurt and has a population of nearly 100,000.