At least nine people were killed and 10 people injured when an 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman opened fire in Olympia Shopping Centre in Munich on Friday, reported Reuters. Munich Police Chief Hubertus Andrae said the man, who acted alone, was found dead around a kilometre away from the scene. According to investigators he shot himself in the head.
Munich Police chief Hubertus Andrae said they had found no evidence linking the shooter to the Islamic State. He also said the shooter was reported to have been receiving psychiatric and medical treatment and had suffered from depression.
The local administration has not yet confirmed if the incident was a terror attack. Police said there was no immediate evidence that pointed to an Islamist motive. The police had earlier said that three gunmen were responsible for the attack that started in a McDonald's restaurant in the shopping mall in north-western Moosach district.
Investigators used robots to check his body and bag for explosives. Authorities shut down public transport in the city for several hours. The elite border security unit, GSG9, was called in to help the investigation. The motive for the shooting is not clear yet.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff, Peter Altmaier, said, "We cannot rule out that it is linked to terrorism but we can't confirm it either, but we are also investigating in this direction." The government's security cabinet will meet on Saturday to take stock of the situation. Friday's attack was the third such act of violence recorded in Western Europe in the past eight days.
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