The Hanau Shooting in Germany

Abstract This chapter examines German Chancellor Merkel’s leadership in the aftermath of a mass shooting in Hanau where bar patrons with immigrant backgrounds were shot and killed by a far-right extremist in 2021. This domestic security crisis is considered a gender-incongruent crisis type. The chapter assesses public remarks at press conferences and parliamentary debates for a one-year period following the shootings (February 20, 2020, through February 20, 2021). The analysis confirms the book’s theory. The gender-incongruent crisis type along with Merkel’s only partially gender-congruent crisis communication created gender role incongruency and, with it, lower approval ratings, despite Merkel’s slightly feminized issue framing and collaborative leadership style.