“He had been preparing (the shooting) for a year”, Bavarian police chief Robert Heimberger told a news conference.
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Although himself the son of Iranian asylum seekers, Sonboly reportedly yelled “anti-immigrant slurs” and shouted “I will kill you all” during his attack. In addition to those who lost their lives tragically in the shooting, 27 others were also injured, some very seriously. It was also determined that there were no other attacks besides the one that took place at the McDonald’s.
German police said the Glock 17 pistol used by the 18-year-old to kill nine people had its serial number scratched off but appeared to have originated in Slovakia and had been reactivated.
German authorities said on July 24 that Sonboly underwent two months of inpatient psychiatric treatment past year due to social anxiety and depression.
Investigators have found no evidence that he wasn’t politically motivated to commit the crime and he didn’t target specific victims.
Police also found medication, but it was not clear whether he had been taking it.
Sonboly had spent time researching previous mass shootings, including one in Winneden, a site he visited and photographed.
Officers said they arrested and later released him, but still were investigating him for not reporting what he may have known about the planned attack.
He said it was unclear when he bought the gun, or how he paid for it, adding that the parents of Sonboly remained in shock and were not able to be interviewed.
The teenager is reported to have been obsessed with mass killings and it is believed he hacked a Facebook account in order to lure people to McDonald’s with the promise of a free meal.
They included a Turk, two Turkish-German dual nationals, a Hungarian, a Kosovan and a Greek, police said. They said Sonboly carried 300 rounds of ammunition in his backpack when when his body was found by police.
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German politicians have called for tighter controls on the sale of arms in the wake of the shooting. However, the restored chat history shows that the 16-year-old had knowledge regarding the weapon which may have been purchased illegally on the dark web.
