A shooting at a shopping mall in Munich has left at least nine people dead, as well as the apparent attacker, and at least 16 people injured, the Munich police say.
Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae said at a press conference early Saturday that the suspect was an 18-year-old German-Iranian man from Munich, armed with a handgun. The suspect had no criminal record and his motive is unknown, Andrae said.
Police initially were acting on the assumption that there were at least three attackers, based on witness accounts. Andrae said Saturday that several people rapidly left the site of the scene, but police now believe they were not involved in the attack.
He said there is no reason to believe the shooter had any accomplices.
Adolescents were among the dead, and children among the wounded, Andrae said.
Police spent hours scouring the city for suspected gunmen after the shooting — 2,300 police were mobilized, Andrae said. Germany’s elite anti-terrorism force was called in to help with the search.
The attack started shortly before 6 p.m. at a McDonald’s across the street from the mall, which was filled with people doing their weekend shopping. As dozens of shots rang out, terrified shoppers ran from the scene, some carrying babies and pushing strollers.
Public transportation was shut down in the area, and police were urging residents to remain indoors and avoid public areas.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will convene her security council today to address the deadly shooting rampage in Munich, her chief of staff Peter Altmaier said.
Television images of people escaping from the center have been shown. They included women and children walking quickly away. An hour after the incident began, a police spokeswoman said authorities were still evacuating people from the shopping center.
The attack in European city follows a truck attack in the French Riviera city of Nice after Bastille Day fireworks last week that left 84 people dead.
