Police in Munich have killed a ‘suspicious’ person near a museum and the Israeli Consulate.
The suspect died at the scene after exchanging fire with police, the interior minister for Bavaria said on Thursday, September 5, 2023.
According to a police spokesman, officers noticed a person carrying a ‘long gun’ in the Karolinenplatz area in the city centre at around 9 am.
There was no indication that anyone else was hurt, Andreas Franken said. The suspect died at the scene.
Police said there was no evidence of any more suspects connected to the incident.
The shooting happened on the 52nd anniversary of the Munich Olympic attacks which saw 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian back in 1972. It was unclear whether the incident was in any way related to the anniversary.
According to one of Germany’s biggest daily papers, Süddeutsche Zeitung, a local resident heard shots and police sirens and there were dozens of officers at the scene.
Shouts of ‘run, run’ could be heard, they added.
Benedikt Franke, deputy chairman and CEO of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), told BILD his office, located right next to the museum, reportedly the Munich Documentation Center, had been cordoned off and staff were under lockdown.
He said there was a ‘loud bang’ at 9.10am and “at least a dozen shots” were heard.
Israel’s foreign ministry said the consulate in Munich was closed when the shooting occurred and that no staff had been affected by the incident.
Police said they had increased their presence in the city, Germany’s third-biggest, but they had no indication of incidents at any other locations or of any other suspects.
Germany’s interior minister said there was a ‘serious incident’ in Munich and the protection of Israeli facilities was of the ‘highest priority’.
The museum is located near the Israeli Consulate in Munich’s Maxvorstadt neighbourhood.
Police said earlier a large operation was under way in response to an incident and asked the public to avoid the area in a post on social media platform X.