A man was fatally shot by police after opening fire close to the Israeli consulate in Munich, Germany, on Thursday. The shooting coincided with the 52nd anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. when a man, described as a young white male wearing a black shirt and red pants, began shooting with an older-style firearm near the consulate.
Footage captured by witnesses showed the suspect wandering the area and firing at least one shot as police arrived on the scene. In a follow-up video, sounds of heavy gunfire were heard as law enforcement engaged the shooter.
“It took several minutes for police to reach him,” a witness told Bild. “They shot at him 30 to 40 times. Then I heard someone say, ‘He’s on the ground and not moving.'”
Munich police later confirmed via social media that the gunman was killed in the exchange and stated there were no other suspects or reported injuries. Authorities gave the all-clear following the shooting.
While no immediate motive has been identified, the attack took place near the Israeli consulate and close to the Nazi Documentation Center.
The shooting occurred on the 52nd anniversary of the Munich massacre, where 11 Israeli athletes and a West German police officer were killed by the Palestinian militant group Black September during the 1972 Olympic Games.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, in a call with his German counterpart, condemned the shooting, labeling it a terrorist act. “On the day we honor our athletes murdered in Munich 52 years ago, another terrorist sought to take innocent lives,” Herzog stated.
He expressed gratitude for the swift response of German authorities and solidarity against terrorism.
