Armed police have shot dead a suspected attacker in Munich after gunfire erupted near the Israeli Consulate General and the Nazi Documentation Centre in the city this morning.
Munich police confirmed that a major operation had been carried out in the area of Briennerstrasse and Karolinenplatz, establishing a perimeter and deploying a police helicopter over the scene.
Initial reports indicated that the shots were fired in front of the Israeli consulate building, located just metres from the Munich Documentation Centre, the former headquarters of the Nazi party that is now dedicated to addressing the city’s troubled past.
The suspect is said to have headed to the documentation centre and fired several shots at police posts near the building.
Munich police confirmed the suspect was shot by armed officers and is in critical condition. It is unclear whether other people were injured.
The shocking incident comes on the anniversary of the infamous 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, in which 11 Israeli athletes were killed by the Palestinian militant group “Black September.”
A burst of powerful gunfire could be heard in a shocking video shared on social media by a German journalist who tried to film the commotion from his apartment window.
In the breathtaking video, a terrified citizen is seen running away from the scene of the shooting.
Police vehicles are parked in Munich near the Nazi Documentation Center and the Israeli Consulate General in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
Police officers patrol after police shot a suspicious person near the Israeli consulate and a museum about the city’s Nazi-era history in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
Police officers patrol near a scene after police shot a suspicious person near the Israeli Consulate and a museum about the city’s Nazi-era history in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
In a breathless video shared on social media, a terrified citizen was seen running away from the scene of the shooting.
Initial reports indicated that the shots were fired in front of the Israeli Consulate General, located a few metres from the Munich Documentation Centre.
Armed police shot dead a suspected attacker in Munich after shots were fired this morning outside the city’s Nazi Documentation Centre (pictured)
Benedikt Franke, vice president and managing director of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), told German media outlet BILD how armed police arrived at the scene this morning.
‘Our office, located right next to the Nazi Documentation Centre in the centre of Munich, is currently cordoned off by the police. Our employees are in a state of isolation.
‘At 9.10 sharp, a loud bang was heard. At least a dozen shots were fired. We know nothing more at the moment. A large contingent of emergency services is deployed on the street.’
The shooting comes on a particularly sensitive date: the anniversary of the attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
During the tragic event, Palestinian extremists took eleven Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them, marking one of the darkest moments in Olympic history.
The incident began as a hostage crisis in the early morning hours of 5 September 1972 after eight armed members of the Black September militant group infiltrated the Olympic Village in Munich and used stolen keys to enter two apartments used by the Israeli Olympic team.
Some members of the team resisted the intrusion, which eventually led to the deaths of two of them.
The group later took nine hostages and a spokesman demanded the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and Red Army Faction leaders Ulrike Meinhof and Andreas Baader in West Germany.
Black September also demanded a plane for his own escape.
After debating whether to enter into negotiations with the terrorist group, West German authorities finally agreed… certain that a rescue attempt would be the only way to resolve the crisis.
A police officer blocks a street after police shot a suspicious person near the Israeli consulate and a museum about the city’s Nazi-era history in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
Police officers stand next to their cars after police shot a suspicious person near the Israeli Consulate and a museum about the city’s Nazi-era history in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
A combination photograph shows the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches who died at the 1972 Munich Olympics after being taken hostage by the Palestinian group Black September.
Palestinian terrorists took eleven Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them, marking one of the darkest moments in Olympic history.
Two West German policemen dressed in tracksuits and armed with submachine guns take position on the roof of the Munich Olympic Village building where armed Arab men are holding members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage on 6 September 1972.
Armed police take up positions on a terrace just above the apartments where members of the Israeli Olympic team were being held hostage by the Black September group.
They decided to fake a deal with Black September, allowing them to transport the bound hostages to the nearby Fürstenfeldbruck air base.
West German police decided to secretly ambush Black September members there with snipers, but the plan suffered from poor communication, inadequate planning, and an inadequate number of snipers to eliminate all of the terrorists.
At the airport, the members of Black September realized their deception and engaged in a fierce shootout with West German police.
Despite premature media reports that all hostages had been successfully rescued, all of them were eventually killed in the failed rescue attempt by gunfire or grenades from Black September members.
All members of Black September were killed at around 1:30 am local time on September 6.
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