MUNICH — Police shot and killed a man during an exchange of fire in the German city of Munich on Thursday, in an area near the Israeli Consulate and a museum on the city’s Nazi-era history.
Officers spotted a man carrying “a long gun” in the center of the Bavarian capital, Andreas Franken, a spokesperson for Munich Police told a news briefing.
Five officers approached him “and then there was an exchange of fire,” he said, adding that the suspect had died at the scene. No other injuries have been reported, he said.
Police were investigating possible motives and Franken said it was too early to give further details on the suspect at this time.
The incident took place in the Karolinenplatz area, near downtown Munich. Police said it was difficult to say if a specific building was targeted as the situation was very “mobile.”
Police said on X that 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.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the consulate in Munich was closed when the shooting occurred and that no consulate staff had been affected by the incident.
A large police presence is still in the area with some police officers carrying machine guns. A police helicopter is circling overhead.
Thursday marked the 52nd anniversary of the attack by Palestinian militants on the Israeli delegation at the 1972 Munich Olympics, which ended with the death of 11 Israeli team members, a West German police officer and five of the assailants.
It was unclear whether the incident was in any way related to the anniversary.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he spoke with German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Taking to X, he wrote that “together we expressed our shared condemnation and horror” at the shooting.
