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Gunman killed after opening fire near Israeli consulate in Munich

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A gunman has been shot dead by police after opening fire near the Israeli consulate in the German city of Munich, according to local officials. It happened on the 52nd anniversary of the Munich Olympics massacre.

The incident began at around 9 a.m. on Thursday when a man, described as a young white male with a black shirt and red pants, began firing shots with a long and “older” type gun near the Israeli consulate.

A video shared by a witness showed the shooter walking around the area and firing at least one shot while police approached the scene. In a later video, heavy gunfire can be heard as officers engage the suspect.

“It took several minutes until the first police officers came after him,” one witness told Bild. “They then shot at him at least 30 or 40 times. After that, I just heard them shout, ‘He’s lying on the ground, not moving anymore.'”

Munich police confirmed on social media that the suspect was killed in the shootout. “There is no evidence of other suspects or any other injured people,” they said, adding that the all-clear had been given.

There was no immediate word on a possible motive but Thursday’s shooting happened just outside the Israeli consulate and just around the corner from the Nazi Documentation Center.

The shooting also coincides with the 52nd anniversary of the Munich massacre, which happened in 1972 when the Palestinian militant organization Black September broke into the Olympic village and took hostages from the Israeli team. Eleven Israelis were killed, as well as a West German police officer.

German media identified the suspect as 18-year-old Emra I., who was known as an Islamist who had previously been investigated for sharing Islamic State group (ISIS) propaganda. Counter-terrorism police are investigating the incident.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned Thursday’s shooting in a phone call with his German counterpart, calling it a terrorist attack.

“On the day our brothers and sisters in Munich were set to stand in remembrance of our brave athletes murdered by terrorists 52 years ago, a hate-fulled terrorist came and once again sought to murder innocent people,” he said.

Herzog added: “I want to thank the German security services for their swift action, and send my support to all those targeted. Together we stand strong in the face of terror. Together we will overcome.”

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