Munich Police: Lone Gunman Killed 9, Then Shot Himself

This story was updated as further information became available.

A gunman who opened fire on the Olympia-Einkaufszentrum shopping center in the German city of Munich is still on the loose, with police reporting that at least nine people are dead and 10 injured.

Despite initial reports that there were three gunmen seen with long rifles, German police now believe that there was only one gunman and that he acted alone before shooting himself.

German police and security forces sent helicopters to the scene, and shopkeepers inside the mall were asked not to leave. Initial reports said multiple shooters may have fled into a nearby subway station, launching parts of Munich into full lockdown.

There were also contradicting reports over what the shooter yelled when he opened fire, with at least one witness claiming they heard him shout “God is great” in Arabic, and others claiming he yelled that he was German. Experts following the attack questioned whether or not it could have been intended to copycat right-wing terrorist Anders Breivik’s deadly attack in Oslo, Norway, which took place five years ago Friday.

In Munich, shots were also reportedly fired at a McDonald’s across the street from the mall and in a nearby parking lot.

The attack came just five days after an Afghan teenager wounded four people with an ax and knife in Bavaria on Monday. He said he was inspired by the Islamic State, and although the gunmen have not been identified, Islamic State-linked Telegram groups have begun posting about the Munich attack on the widely used app.

There is still no word on the shooter’s motive, and no terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the rampage.

Below, video footage of a helicopter on the scene in Munich:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BILEF9-hdy8/

Foreign Policy will update as more information becomes available.

Photo credit: LUKAS SCHULZE/AFP/Getty Images