Tobias R. – Hanau Attack 2020

The Attacks on Red Rose Bar and Arena Bar

On February 19, 2020, around 10:00 p.m., Tobias R. stormed the Rote Rose Bar (Red Rose Bar) in Kesselstadt, a district of Hanau. He opened fire on guests with a 9 mm pistol. Five people were shot dead on the spot: Ferhat Unvar (22), Sedat Gürbüz (34), Said Nesar Hashemi (34), Mercedes Kierpacz (35), and Kaloyan Velkov (33). All had migrant backgrounds.

Just minutes later, around 10:15 p.m., the perpetrator appeared at Arena Bar, also in Hanau. He carried out his second attack of the evening. Four more people were killed: Hamza Khanouche (34), Vili Viorel Păun (33), Fatih Saraçoğlu (34), and Gökay Köklü (37). Several others were wounded in the attack.

Tobias R. fled the scene. He was traced to his apartment in Hanau shortly after, where he took his own life before police could apprehend him.

The Perpetrator's Background and Motivation

Tobias R. was a 43-year-old German citizen with no previously known serious criminal history. Investigations following the attack revealed that he was deeply involved in conspiracy theories and far-right ideologies. He had published manifestos online and sent letters to local media expressing paranoid and racist views.

The perpetrator claimed, among other things, that he was being controlled by American authorities and harbored obsessive thoughts about migrants' influence on Germany. His digital footprint showed radicalization over time through internet forums and videos with extremist content. His motivation for specifically targeting people of non-German origin was clear: in written notes, he expressed beliefs that certain population groups should be "eliminated."

Reactions and Consequences

The attack sent shockwaves through Germany and the world. It was classified as a terrorist attack with a racist background. Hundreds of thousands participated in memorial services and solidarity demonstrations in Hanau and other German cities.