Munich: An 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman who apparently acted alone opened fire in a busy shopping mall in Munich on Friday evening, killing at least nine people in the third attack against civilians in Western Europe in eight days.
The pistol-wielding attacker, identified by Munich Police Chief Hubertus Andrae as a dual national, was later found dead of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.
Police, citing eyewitness accounts, had initially said they were looking for up to three suspects in the shooting attack at the Munich Olympia Shopping Center that sent shoppers fleeing in panic and shut traffic across the city.
But authorities told a news conference early on Saturday the shooter was believed to have staged the attack alone, opening fire in a fast food restaurant before moving on to the mall.
Sixteen people, including several children, were injured in the attack and three were in critical condition, Andrae said.
There was no known motive for the shooting in Germany’s third largest city, which went into lockdown with transport halted and highways sealed off immediately after the attack.
It was the third major act of violence against civilians in Western Europe in eight days. Previous attacks in France and Germany were claimed by the ISIS.
“The motives for this abhorrent act have not yet been completely clarified - we still have contradictory clues,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but supporters of ISIS celebrated on social media.
French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday that the deadly shooting in Munich was a “disgusting terrorist attack” aimed at stirring up fear in Germany after France was targeted last week.
“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.
US President Barack Obama on Friday pledged support to Germany in the wake of a deadly shooting rampage in Munich, as officials said they were working to determine if any US citizens were affected.
Obama, speaking at a meeting with law enforcement officials, said he had been briefed on the unfolding drama in Germany, where at least six people are believed dead in a shooting at a shopping center in Munich.
“Our hearts go out to those who may have been injured. It’s still an active situation, and Germany’s one of our closest allies, so we are going to pledge all the support that they may need in dealing with these circumstances,” he said.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: “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.”
At the State Department, spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said US officials were working with local authorities to determine if any US citizens were affected by the incident. American citizens in Germany were urged to contact loved ones to let them know their whereabouts.
“For your own safety, avoid squares and streets: perpetrators are on the run,” said a statement on the website of the US embassy in Germany. “Continue to shelter in place, contact your family members to let them know you are safe, and follow the instructions of police and emergency personnel.”
US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, commenting on the shooting attack in Munich in which at least nine people were killed on Friday, said the United States should do all in its power to keep out terrorism.
“This cannot continue. The rise of terrorism threatens the way of life for all civilized people, and we must do everything in our power to keep it from our shores,” Trump said on Facebook.
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