UK Edition
- Gunman in Munich opens fire at a McDonald's by Olympia shopping centre
- Children targeted in attack
- Gunman killed himself after fleeing scene
- Gunman 'probably' acted alone
- He was 18-year-old with German and Iranian citizenship
- Munich attack: everything we know so far
An 18-year-old German-Iranian man opened fire in a crowded Munich shopping mall and a nearby McDonald's killing nine people and wounding 16 others before killing himself, the chief of police in the Bavarian capital said on Saturday.
Police gave a "cautious all clear" early on Saturday morning, more than seven hours after the attack began, and brought much of the city to a standstill as all public transit systems were shut down amid a massive manhunt. They said a body found near the scene was that of the shooter and he appeared to have acted alone.
Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae told a news conference the suspect was a dual citizen from Munich and his motive was still "fully unclear".
Mr Andrae said the suspect's body was found about 2 1/2 hours after the attack and was identified to be the shooter based on witness statements and closed circuit television footage of the attack. He was not previously known to police and there was no evidence of any links to terrorist organisations, Mr Andrae said.
Witnesses had reported seeing three men with firearms near the Olympia Einkaufszentrum mall. However, the police chief said two people who fled the area quickly were investigated but had "nothing to do with the incident".
Mr Andrae said the nine fatalities included young people and children were among the 16 wounded, three of whom were in critical condition.
After gunfire broke out at the mall, one of Munich's largest, the city sent a smartphone alert declaring an "emergency situation" and telling people to stay indoors, while all rail, subway and tram services were halted in the city.
It was the third major act of violence against civilians in Western Europe in eight days. The previous attacks, in the French resort city of Nice and on a train in Bavaria near the city of Wuerzburg, were claimed by the Islamic State group.
While police initially called the mall shooting an act of terrorism, they said they had "no indication" it involved Islamic extremism and at least one witness said he heard a shooter shout an anti-foreigner slur.
"The question of terrorism or a rampage is tied to motive and we don't know the motive," Mr Andrae said. "We can't question the suspect so this is all a little more difficult."
Mr Andrae said inquiries suggested the suspect had lived in the city for more than two years and is not thought to have been known to law enforcement agencies.
"As to the background or motive of the offence, it's totally unclear. The investigations will be running on all cylinders through the night," Mr Andrae said.
Germany has been on high alert after a teenage asylum seeker attacked people with an axe on a train on Monday, injuring five.
'He was a quiet guy'
Neighbours of the attacker told German media that he was a "quiet guy."
"He lived right next to me," German newspaper Bild quoted a neighbour as saying.
"A friend of mine went to school with him and said he was rather a quiet guy. He recognised him from the videos from the scene."
Police commandos, armed with night vision equipment and dogs, raided an apartment in the Munich neighbourhood of Maxvorstadt early on Saturday where Bild said the gunman lived with his parents.
'Fake game lured people into McDonald's'
During the Munich police's press conference a journalist asked a question about a rumoured "fake game" which may have lured people into the McDonald's that was then attacked with a promise of free meals.
Police chief Andrae said that authorities were aware of it but couldn't say if there was any connection with the attack.
Francois Hollande: Munich shooting is a 'terrorist attack'
The Munich was a "disgusting terrorist attack" aimed at stirring up fear in Germany after France was targeted last week, French President Francois Hollande said in a statement.
"The terrorist attack that struck Munich killing many people is a disgusting act that aims to foment fear in Germany after other European countries," Hollande said in a statement.
"Germany will resist, it can count on France's friendship and cooperation," he said, adding that he would speak with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday morning.
Munich police have said it was too early to say whether it was a terrorist attack.
18-year-old Iranian from Munich reported to be the gunman
An 18-year-old Iranian from Munich is thought to have been the gunman who shot nine dead and injured 10 others before killing himself, police said.
Munich police chief Hubertus Andraes said at a news conference that the attacker's motive was still "fully unclear."
"The perpetrator was an 18-year-old German-Iranian from Munich," he said.
"The motive or explanation for this crime is completely unclear."
Andraes said that the body of the shooter found about 2 1/2 hours after the attack was determined to be the shooter based on the evaluation of witness statements and closed circuit television.
Two others who fled the area quickly were investigated but had "nothing to do with the incident".
All clear given by Munich police: suspect killed himself and was likely a lone gunman
Munich police have just announced that the suspected gunman is dead having killed himself.
They stated he "probably" acted alone, calming earlier fears there were three gunmen.
The all-clear was given for Munich city centre and public transport restarted shorted after 1am local time (midnight UK).
Explosives experts checking backpack of dead man
Explosive experts from the Munich police are examining a backpack found on a dead man suspected of being one of the assailants the shooting rampage, German DPA news agency reported.
The body of the man was found about one kilometre (0.6 miles) away from the mall where the shootings took place, DPA said, as police said they were hunting up to three gunmen still at large.
Austria steps up border security
AFP: Austria has "significantly" tightened security measures along its border with Germany and put an elite police force on high alert following the Munich mall attack, a government security chief said Friday.
Germany and Austria share hundreds of kilometres of frontier, including along the state of German Bavaria, where the attack occurred.
"Police have significantly increased security measures so they are poised and fully ready to act," public security chief Konrad Kogler told state broadcaster ORF, without elaborating.
He added that 42 elite so-called "Cobra" officers have been dispatched to Munich to assist police in their hunt for gunmen who killed at least eight people in a shooting rampage at a shopping centre in Munich.
"The entire Cobra team has been placed on high alert so that they are ready to jump into action," Kogler said.
He added there were "no concrete indications" of an imminent threat in Austria and the current terror threat level has not been increased.
The country has been on raised alert since last January's deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly offices in Paris.
'Too early to say whether a jihadi attack'
Yassin Musharbash, a terrorism analyst for Die Zeit, has been speaking to BBC Newsnight
He said:
Everybody here was on high alert already [after the train attack].
Most people assumed immediately it was most likely a jihad attack but we do not know at this point, it’s too early to say.
On refugees being invited into the country:
Munich was where most of the refugees poured into last year. There’s a reason we call Munich the city of hearts – it’s possible this reputation the city holds is something a jihadi cell would like to undermine.
We could be talking about a disturbed individual. There was a video with a confusing dialogue with an onlooker which could point towards an attacked with mental health issues.
White House statement on the shooting
The United States condemns in the strongest terms the apparent terrorist attack that has claimed innocent lives in Munich, Germany.
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.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the deceased, just as we wish those wounded a full recovery.
In the midst of this tragedy, the United States will work closely with our German partners to whom we will make available any resources that would assist their investigation, as the President pledged.
The resolve of Germany, the United States, and the broader international community will remain unshaken in the face of acts of despicable violence such as this.
Merkel's chief of staff contradicts police and says cannot confirm terrorism
Reuters - Germany cannot confirm that the shooting attack in Munich in which at least nine people were killed on Friday was an act of terrorism, Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff said.
Police in Munich said nine people had been killed in the attack, including a dead body found near the scene. They are trying to verify whether the body is that of one of the attackers.
"We cannot rule out that it is linked to terrorism but we can't confirm it either, but we are also investigating in this direction," Peter Altmaier said on German television.
He added that the security cabinet would hold a meeting midday on Saturday to assess the situation.
Shadow Foreign Secretary responds
Emily Thornberry, the shadow Foreign Secretary, has issued this statement:
While it is unclear at this stage how many innocent people have been killed or injured, how many gunmen are involved, or what twisted motivation they hold, we can say one thing with certainty: anyone who tries to commit indiscriminate, mass murder against ordinary men, women and children going about their daily lives stands for nothing but evil.
Our response cannot be to let them win by changing the way we live, or reacting ourselves with hatred and intolerance.
We must stand defiant to protect our way of life, and we must take determined and unified action against anyone who wants to destroy it."
Germany reeling from shooting
Our correspondent, Zia Weise, brings us the following updates:
- German culture festival Tollwood has been evacuated.
- Police are checking whether the death toll includes one of the gunmen.
- The Bavarian regional parliament and the Munich Chancellery have opened their doors to people seeking shelter.
- National TV ZDF reporting death toll rises to nine.
Boris Johnson comments
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, comments from New York on the Munich attack.
I am shocked and appalled by the terrible attack unfolding this evening in Munich, and the loss of life.
My thoughts are with those injured and the families of those killed.
We stand ready to assist our friends in Germany.
Our travel advice to UK nationals in the area tonight is to stay indoors and follow the advice of the local authorities.”
Turkish man believed among the victims
A freelance journalist in Munich has told BBC Radio 5 Live just now that one of the victims outside McDonalds was an 18-year-old Turkish man, who had come from Greece.
The victim was shot twice outside McDonalds, after pushing his sister aside - likely to try and save her.
His father has suffered a heart attack and been taken to hospital.
Video appears to show a gunman yelling: "I'm a German"
Footage on social media shows a man in black walking on the roof of a car park,
The people filming him say: "He has a gun," then shout, and he replies: "I am a German."
They then yell abuse at him.
It is not clear yet who the man on the roof was.
Panic around the McDonalds
Our correspondent Zia Weise, who is from Munich, has been listening to Bavarian Radio, where a woman has given an eyewitness account.
We were in McDonald’s and wanted to eat something. We were queueing.
Then panic erupted.
The staff ran out and all the people followed behind them. Children were crying. Everybody running out in panic.
We heard three shots. Bang, bang… bang.
I didn’t see him. As far as I know this was upstairs at the Douglas [drug store, like Boots], we were downstairs.
Munich police giving press conference now
- Attack is terrorism
- At least five dead; unclear if children involved
- We believe three perpetrators, we think they are still at large
- They used a long weapon, longer than a pistol, something like a rifle
- We assume the gunmen are still in Munich
- All the clinics in Munich are on alert
Obama speaking now
We don't yet know what is happening there.
Obviously our heart goes out to those caught up with it.
It's a good reminder of something I've said over the last few weeks.
Our way of life, our freedoms, our ability to go about our daily lives, to raise our kids, to see them grow up and leave - I'm sorry, I'm getting too personal.
That all depends on law enforcement.
Obviously we have gone through a really tough time in the last few weeks, on a whole lot of fronts.
In recent weeks I've had the job of speaking to the widows of those police killed in Baton Rouge.
He is still speaking now, but has moved on to domestic issues.
Islamic State supporters celebrate on social media
(Reuters) - Supporters of the Islamic State jihadi group celebrated on social media a shooting rampage in a shopping mall in the southern German city of Munich on Friday that killed and wounded many people.
"Thank God, may God bring prosperity to our Islamic State men," read one tweet in Arabic on an account that regularly favours the radical Islamist movement.
"The Islamic State is expanding in Europe," read an Arabic-language tweet on another account also known to support the group.
The attack was the third major act of violence against civilian targets in Western Europe in eight days. Previous attacks in France and Germany were claimed by Islamic State and Munich police said they suspected the latest assault was a terrorist attack.
Lynn Stein was inside the shopping centre at the time
Lynn Stein, who works in a shop inside the centre, told CNN:
I was in a neighbouring store when shots were fired.
People started running. More shots were fired.
People were screaming.
Then I heard several shots at the parking house next to the mall. I went back inside the wall, to check on my co-workers.
When I went there there was a couple of people coming in towards me, and I told them to leave as I continued towards my store.
A man told me he saw a gunman.
I ran outside, and police told me to leave. Which I did.
This was about 15 minutes after it happened, and I was evacuated.
British witness Victor Wood, who lives in Munich, speaks to BBC
I was leaving the shopping centre from the side entrance and as we were about to go into the U-bahn, we heard shooting.
We couldn’t see where it was coming from - there was a building in between us.
When I got out of the U-bahn a couple of minutes later we saw all the police cars and realised what had happened.
The shopping centre is like a L-shape. It was quite busy - there were a lot of people in there.
We didn’t hear screaming but we were leaving from the side exit so it was hard to see what was going on. But local media reports someone coming out of the McDonalds and shooting a hand gun.
It took about four or five minutes for police to arrive I would say. We managed to get on one of the last trains before they closed the transport system.
Before I came out to Germany, I had been in the air force, so I am used to the sound of gunshots, and it was definitely shooting – you don’t hear that kind of sound in the city.
No one expects something like this to happen in their front garden.
I think Munich is well equipped to handle it though. Police presence is fairly low key, police officers have weapons but you don’t see people walking around with machine guns, for example.”
Munich residents open their homes to terrified locals
More from Zia Weise:
Munich residents are using the hashtag #offenetür (“open door”) to offer shelter.
There are reports (unconfirmed) on Twitter that taxi drivers are getting messages from police to avoid the city centre and not to pick up any passengers.
Situation chaotic in Munich
Our correspondent Zia Weise, who was born in Munich, has translated the German police twitter feed for us.
It gives a sense of how confused the situation remains.
We do not know where the shooter is. Take care and avoid going outside.” - 10 mins ago
We are aware of shooting rumours in city centre. Situation is unclear. Please stay inside.” - 17 mins ago (But reporters there say nothing’s happening)
Please do not put images or videos of police operations online. Do not support the perpetrators!” - 20 mins ago
Avoid public places in Munich. The situation is unclear.” - 40 mins ago
Munich residents told to stay indoors
Our correspondent, Zia Weise, reports:
Süddeutsche Zeitung is reporting an unspecified number of deaths. Police has confirmed injuries, but no deaths.
Police have told people to remain inside as the situation is still not resolved. Rumours of a second attacker in the city centre are untrue, reporters in Munich say.
The shopping centre (Olympia Einkaufszentrum) is a complex built in the 70s, close to the Olympic sports complex in Western Munich.
