The attacker opened fire in and around a shopping mall before fleeing and setting off a manhunt that lasted several hours. Ten of the 27 injured are said to be in a critical condition, including a 13-year-old boy.
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He unleashed terror inside the Olympia Mall at a McDonald’s restaurant across the street from it. As for a motive, it’s unclear what his intentions were.
Investigators also found evidence that the Munich-born suspect had suffered from psychological problems and received treatment, but details were still being confirmed, Steinkraus-Koch said.
A neighbour on Dachauer Strasse that was searched by police on Saturday morning described the alleged gunman as “very quiet”.
Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae told the news conference early on Saturday that the suspect had not been known to police and there were no known links to terror groups, although investigations were continuing. Authorities shut down public transportation and warned people to stay home or seek protection.
Police and fire services clean the area the shooting occured outside the OEZ shopping center, the day after a shooting spree left nine victims dead on July 23, 2016 in Munich, Germany.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is working urgently to determine whether any Australians have been caught up in a “shooting rampage” in the German city of Munich that has claimed the lives of at least 10 people.
– German President Joachim Gauck condemned the “murderous attack in Munich”. Andrae said that their search did turn up documents linked to shooting rampages.
One comment on Facebook said: “I called the police, I know who is behind this”.
Police said they were investigating a video in which the gunman is seen and heard exchanging racial slurs and profanities with another man. “We are trying to determine who said what”, a police spokesman said.
On Saturday, flags throughout the country flew at half staff while Germany’s security cabinet got set to meet in Berlin at 12:30 p.m. (6:30 a.m. ET).
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Munich police eventually gave a “cautious” all-clear at around 1.30am local time. 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.
