Germany: 10 dead, 21 injured in shooting at mall

BERLIN

At least 10 people are dead, including the possible gunman, and more than a dozen injured after a shooting spree on Friday in a shopping mall in the southern German city of Munich.

Police Chief Hubertus Andrae told reporters that the suspected gunman, 18-years old German national of Iranian descent, was found dead in an area close to the Olympia shopping center, and he is believed to have killed himself.

“At we have no evidence indicating that any other person involved in this attack,” he said.

“For the time being, the motive of the suspect and the background of this attack are completely unclear,” he added.

Video footage aired on N24 TV station earlier showed a male assailant randomly shooting at people in front of a fast food restaurant near the Munich Olympia shopping center.

Police said the assailant killed at least 9 people, and nearly 21 people were sent to hospitals after the attack.

The shooting alarmed authorities on Friday evening amid growing threats by the terrorist group Daesh to launch attacks targeting European countries.

Police had launched a major manhunt in Munich city soon after the incident, as witness statements claimed up to three assailants with long guns were involved in the attack.

The Munich Olympia shopping center was evacuated and elite GSG 9 counterterrorism teams were sent to the city for a possible operation against the assailants.

Meanwhile, reactions to the attack began to stream in late Friday from around the world.

The White House called the attack “heinous”, condemning it “in the strongest terms”.

“The resolve of Germany, the United States, and the broader international community will remain unshaken in the face of acts of despicable violence such as this,” the statement said.

“All of now with Munich,” Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, posted on his Twitter account.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack in a statement, saying: “International solidarity and cooperation is essential in the fight against the scourge of terrorism that targets the common values of humanity.”