Munich attack : Bavaria police chief shares details on operation and on shooter's identity After another day of tragedy and drama, where the police had earlier suggested that as many as three gunmen were behind a deadly shooting in a shopping center in Munich, Germany moments ago the local police reported that the gunman was in fact a lone 18-year-old of German and Iranian origin who is believed to have carried out the "shooting rampage" on his own, killing at least nine people before later apparently killing himself.
The shooting attack at a McDonald's attached to the Olympia Einkaufszentrum shopping center at around 5:50 p.m. local time (11:50 a.m. ET) Friday led authorities to lock down the city. Public transportation was shut down and residents were warned to stay away from public places. Police said nine people had been killed and at least 10 were wounded. Around 100 people witnessed the shooting. Authorities found a 10th body about 1 km (0.6 miles) from the scene that was later determined to be the likely gunman.
"Careful all-clear," Munich police said on Twitter early Saturday. "As part of our manhunt we found one person that killed himself. With high probability it is the suspect, who — according to the present state of investigation — acted alone."
It was the third major act of violence against civilians in Western Europe in eight days. Previous attacks in France and Germany were claimed by the Islamic State militant group.
A police spokesman said there was no immediate indication that it was an Islamist attack but it was being treated as a terrorist incident. Friday is also the fifth anniversary of the massacre by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway in which he killed 77 people. Breivik is a hero for far-right militants in Europe and America.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the motive for the attack was not yet clear.
The gunman was an 18-year-old German-Iranian from Munich who had been living in the city for more than two years, Munich Police President Hubertus Andrae said. A motive is unknown, he said. The gunman, who was not identified, was found dead at around 8:30 p.m. and police believe he likely killed himself. Twenty-one people were hospitalized, three of whom were critically wounded, police said.
Cited by NBC, Munich police spokesman Marcus da Gloria Martins said in a press conference earlier that "we are operating on the premise of a terrorist attack," but Andrae said later that links to terror had not been established.
A police spokesman initially said up to three gunmen were on the run after the shooting. The Bavarian capital was placed under a state of emergency as police hunted for them and special forces deployed in the city. "We are telling the people of Munich there are shooters on the run who are dangerous," he said. "We are urging people to stay indoors."
Police said witnesses described multiple suspects wielding long guns, but Andrae said that claim was unfounded. Which is strange, because similar "mistakes" were made both in Orlando several weeks ago, as well as in Nice last week, when initial reports of multiple attackers ultimately turned out to be "lone wolves."
Even stranger, he said a handgun was used in the shooting, and no long gun was present. The suspected gunman did not have a police record, Andrae said.
Special forces from Bavaria, other German states and from federal police were on duty in the city, Munich police said. Around 2,300 officers were deployed, Andrae said. The National Security Cabinet will meet Saturday.
In the aftermath of the shooting, police received several reports of other shootings and hostage taking scenarios during the course of evening, but none turned out to be real, Andrae said. The U.S. State Department warned Americans to shelter in place amid the uncertainty. All Munich public transportation — subway, bus, and tram — was shut down after the shooting, and police tweeted in several languages pleading for the public to "please avoid public areas." By shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday local time, police said transportation was back to normal.
The sprawling two-story Olympia Einkaufszentrum opened in 1972 during the Summer Olympics in Munich, according to the mall's website. "It is terrible and sheer inconceivable what happened in Munich. We are mourning the victims and are in our thoughts with the relatives," German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a statement. "We can unconditionally rely on the Bavarian security forces. In these hours our special thanks goes out to them."
In the aftermath of the shooting, Barack Obama said that "The United States condemns in the strongest terms the apparent terrorist attack that has claimed innocent lives in Munich, Germany," the White House said in a statement. "We still do not know all of the facts, but we do know that this heinous act has killed and injured multiple individuals in the heart of one of Europe's most vibrant cities," the statement said. The U.S. State Department later issued a statement condemning the attack, but that statement did not use the word terrorism.
Europe has been on edge following terror attacks in France and Belgium. The shooting is the second attack in Germany's Bavaria region this week.
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