Gunmen kill at least eleven in Munich shopping mall, shooters on the run

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Special force police officers stand guard at an entrance of the main train station, following a shooting rampage at the Olympia shopping mall in Munich. REUTERS/Michael Dalder
Special force police officers stand guard at an entrance of the main train station, following a shooting rampage at the Olympia shopping mall in Munich. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Gunmen attacked a busy mall in the German city of Munich on Friday evening, killing at least 11 people and sending shoppers running for their lives from what police said was a terrorist attack.

Authorities told the public to get off the streets as the city – Germany’s third biggest – went into lockdown with transport halted and highways sealed off.

A police spokesman said three gunmen were on the run after the initial shooting subsided. The city was placed under a state of emergency as police hunted for them.

“We are telling the people of Munich there are shooters on the run who are dangerous,” he said. “We are urging people to stay indoors.”

Police said later that eight people had been killed and an undetermined number wounded. A ninth body had also been found and they were checking to see it was one of the gunmen.

Munich newspaper TZ said one of the shooters was dead. German news magazine Focus said a gunman had shot himself in the head. Reuters could not immediately confirm either report.

As special forces deployed in the city, some people remained holed up in the Olympia shopping center which police said had been evacuated.

“Many shots were fired, I can’t say how many but it’s been a lot,” said a shop worker hiding in a store room inside the mall.

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 Islamic State militant group.

A police spokesman said there was no immediate indication that it was an Islamist attack but it was being treated as a terrorist incident.

Friday is also the five-year anniversary of the massacre by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway in which he killed 77 people. Breivik is a hero for far-right militants in Europe and America.

IS SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but supporters of Islamic State celebrated on social media.

“The Islamic state is expanding in Europe,” read one Tweet.

Two witnesses told n-tv television that they saw a man dressed as Santa Claus walking away from the scene of the shooting with a crowd of people. One said the man had blonde hair, was not carrying a weapon but had a suitcase.

A video posted online – whose authenticity could not be confirmed – showed a man dressed in black outside a McDonalds by the roadside, drawing a handgun and shooting towards members of the public.

A worker at a shop in the mall, Harun Balta, said: “We are still stuck inside the mall without any information, we’re waiting for the police to rescue us.”

Police spokeswoman said six people were killed and an undetermined number wounded. They were treating it as a terrorist incident.

Witnesses had seen shooting both inside the mall and on nearby streets, he said.

Munich’s main railway station was also evacuated. BR television said police had also sealed off many highways north of Munich had been shut down and people were told to leave them.

The shopping center is next to the Munich Olympic stadium, where the Palestinian militant group Black September took 11 Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them during the 1972 Olympic Games.

Friday’s attack took place a week after a 17-year-old asylum-seeker wounded passengers on a German train with an axe. Bavarian police shot dead the teenager after he wounded four people from Hong Kong on the train and injured a local resident while fleeing.

German Justice Minister Heiko Maas told Bild newspaper’s Friday edition before the mall attack that there was “no reason to panic but it’s clear that Germany remains a possible target”.

The incidents in Germany follow an attack in Nice, France, on Bastille Day in which a Tunisian drove a truck into crowds, killing 84. Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende said on Twiiter: “Horrible killings in Munich. Taking place on the same day as we mourn & remember the appalling terror that hit Norway so hard five years ago.”

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged support for Germany.

“We don’t yet know exactly what’s happening there, but obviously our hearts go out to those who may have been injured,” Obama said.

 

REUTERS

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29 responses to “Gunmen kill at least eleven in Munich shopping mall, shooters on the run”

  1. Matrix Avatar

    No information from the german authorities regarding who is behind this terror act but “IS SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE”…
    They are cautious this time so there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
    Perhaps it is an action of the followers of Anders Behring Breivik?

    However on social media the fanatics dare to expose themselves, knowing that they can remain anonymous.
    They surely are live among us, with assistance from the refugee aid organizations – talk about a Trojan horse…..

    http://www.euronews.com/2016/07/22/what-we-know-so-far-about-the-munich-shooting

    1. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      Matrix give himself an uppie.

      1. Matrix Avatar

        Since when You turned Rudy1947 to be Matrix?

        Your blind hatred turned you into an insane Lebanese idiot!

        Not even 5thDrawer drops so low and he is, after all even your fellow countryman!

        1. Hind Abyad Avatar
          Hind Abyad

          Yes Mama Merkel < Insufrable..Renee Descartes..
          Matrix-Oh Yeah..

    1. Rudy1947 Avatar
      Rudy1947

      Maybe Hamas has finally learned not to fire rockets at Israel. Not digging tunnels into Israel would be very beneficial as well.

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar
        5thDrawer

        Even Isreal didn’t use that stupid excuse to target Red Cross people & Ambulances.
        They just said it didn’t happen.

        1. Rudy1947 Avatar
          Rudy1947

          Red Cross or Red Crescent.

        2. Hind Abyad Avatar
          Hind Abyad

          Tell the stupid below crescent is Levant, like in fertile crescent.

          1. Matrix Avatar

            A map showing the generally defined area of the Fertile Crescent in red…

          2. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            I know that story since 12 years old, thank you it was for the stupid below.

          3. Matrix Avatar

            Not Turkish coffee, it taste like drainage.

          4. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            Better not show that one here .. it says ‘Palestine’ and points to it.
            (adds to Map Collections…)

          5. Oh Yeah Avatar

            What is the problem, the map shows the location and extent of the Fertile Crescent, a region in the Middle East incorporating Ancient Egypt; the Levant; and Mesopotamia.

            The “fertile crescent” refers to an ancient area of fertile soil and important rivers stretching in an arc from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates.
            It covers Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

            Better to show that one here .. it says ‘Canaan’ as well as Israel.
            The generally defined an area of the Fertile Crescent, not a political map that you always prefer to refer to.

          6. “Better not show that one here…”
            Why? Because of the arrow? 🙂

    2. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      That was strange “in contact with Israel”, so they saw the ambulances on the ground and bombarded them. Sick

    3. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      All beheading in this modern world are done by Sunnis, tell me where Shia have beheaded? Tell me one single story right now, who are suicide bombers? Who was Sadam Hussein? Who was Kadafi? Who are Wahhabi Saudi Arabia? Who is Erdogan? Who was Hosni Mubarak?

      Who was bin Ali who are Persian Gulf puppets in Kuwait, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain? Shia or Sunni?

      Shia is based on the teaching Bin Ali to never behead innocent kids and women no matter kaffir or no-kaffir. Just Sunni Moslems do

      1. Rascal Avatar

        I didn’t see an reference to Gaza or jews written anywhere in this article, you are starting the diversion tactics early. Maybe you should re-read the news again, I think you misunderstand what THIS article is about and all you see is Palies/jews again.

        1. Hind Abyad Avatar
          Hind Abyad

          ..:)) Zio..it was about the videos.

  2. Oh Yeah Avatar

    According to the police the killer was a 18 year old German – Iranian!

    Not any Al-Qaeda, ISIS (“IS SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE”….) or other Arab terrorist just a German – Iranian (Shia Muslim?)!

    This 18 year old was responsible for the killing of 9 people, as well as 16 injured, three of them floating still in critical condition.

    What kind of people are you – turning a München tragedy into an Arab Jewish comedy – giving willing punters a chance to join in the fun, and those less willing a chance to simply sit back and watch?

    What a relief, the shooters is dead!

    1. Rascal Avatar

      Hind is a pre-programmed Hate-Bot, don’t expect any common sense from her.

      1. Hind Abyad Avatar
        Hind Abyad

        Ratscal maniaco- depressive- obsessive- hate-broken record.
        Wahhabi backed Jihad beheaders propagandists- It’s my way or the highway..stuck on YaLibnan.

        1. Rudy1947 Avatar
          Rudy1947

          You forgot imperialist.

      2. Oh Yeah Avatar

        What did she said this time?
        Is it Hind pre-programmed Hate-Bot in this “This user is blocked”?
        I can’t read nor respond to a by me blocked users… Hind and Omega.

      3. Oh Yeah Avatar

        What did she said this time?
        Is it Hind pre-programmed Hate-Bot in this “This user is blocked”?
        I can’t read nor respond to a blocked users by me….. Hind and Omega. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e5a662c44b89b0ca5322110537d2fb96668e809ea2f885a210eb3b9ed9f190d2.jpg Forgot to attach the screenshot, that’s why you se “This comment was deleted”.

        I’m not used to a temperature https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1ce3139c6847d858e383cf30796ae3449a2e0166f0ebef817a7db64b6cd28d6b.jpg of 28.2 C in the shadow!

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          31 here today .. Global Warming catching on .. 😉

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            Poor animals in the Artic.

        2. Hind Abyad Avatar
          Hind Abyad

          I don’t see 5thDrawer in- Forgot to attach the screenshot, that’s why you see “This comment was deleted”.
          I’m not used to a temperature-
          ——————————————-
          Where is the screenshot, Alzheimer?
          2 minutes ago you had ample time to change into your
          Oh Yeah discus. Why didn’t you address OhYaeh?

          Nothing was deleted.. poor you

          1. Rudy1947 Avatar
            Rudy1947

            Ahhhh, poor baby so easily offended yet so easily blamed for your “hate-bot” posting. BTW, I’m actually Matrix, in for Rascal and playing Rudy tonight. OH Yeah will cost you extra.

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