Public broadcaster Bayrischer Rundfunk reports that the late afternoon attack happened at a McDonald’s restaurant at the Olympia-Einkaufszentrum shopping mall in the northern part of Munich.
Advertisement
Mr Andraes said that the body of the attacker was found about two and half hours after the shooting began.
A police spokesman had earlier told AFP they suspected “terrorism” in the rampage, while German news agency DPA quoted police as warning of an “acute terror situation”.
He had lived in the city “for a while”, Mr Andrae said.
The Bavarian Interior Ministry said three people were dead, NTV television reported. Early Saturday, a Munich police spokesman said it was now believed likely that only one man was responsible for the shooting.
“We can’t question the suspect so this is all a little more hard”, he said. He was a naturalised German from Iran, 18 years old, who had used a handgun in the killings, not a rifle. At least six people were killed in a shootout in the German city of Munich on Friday evening, German local media Focus Online reported.
“As to the background or motive of the offence it’s totally unclear”.
Video footage shows shoppers filing through the mall under police guard with their arms raised before lying down on the ground.
With still no official figure on casualties in the shooting spree Friday night, July 22, in the Olympia mall, Munich’s largest shopping center. Our thoughts are with the victims of this attack.
“The shooting moved from that street to the shopping centre”.
Armed units flooded the area, with officers in plain clothes seen running through the mall in search for the gunman.
He said police didn’t know whether they were dealing with one or multiple shooters.
“We are determined to do everything we can so that terror and inhuman violence stand no chance in Germany”, her chief of staff Peter Altmaier said.
They have since given a “cautious all clear”.
It was also not far from where Palestinian attackers opened fire in the Olympic Village in 1972, killing 11 Israeli athletes. Residents of Munich opened their doors to people seeking shelter using the Twitter hashtag #opendoor. Munich police urged people to avoid public places.
Police special forces had arrived at the scene, NTV said. Five guerrillas and a police officer were also killed.
Munich police are hunting the suspects but no one is in custody yet.
Advertisement
Mr Andrae said there was no evidence to give fear of further attacks, but warned the threat remained present. He said several were wounded, but he did not have an exact count. “But one should add, and this is not a new insight, there is no such thing as absolute safety and security, but we have no further indication that there is reason to feel insecure or unsafe or to hide away”.
