Iranian Born Terrorist Kill 9 in Munich's Olympia Shopping Mall

A shooting began at a McDonald's in a shopping mall in Munich Germany, with as many as 9 people reported shot and killed, plus the perpetrator, a man of Iranian descent.

At 0:34 CEST (22:34 UTC), the Munich Police department tweeted their belief that they had found the suspect, a lone gunman, who committed suicide.

At 02:20 CEST, the Munich Police Department held a press conference. Police commissioner Hubertus Andrä confirmed the events that took place and identified the gunman, an 18-year-old German man of Iranian descent who held both German and Iranian citizenship. The gunman had lived in Munich for over two years and had no previous criminal record.

It was the third major act of violence against civilian targets to take place in Western Europe in eight days. Previous attacks in France and Germany were claimed by the Islamic State militant group.

The State department says it does not appear that any Americans are among the victims.

Authorities were evacuating people from the Olympia mall but many others were hiding inside. Munich's main railway station was also evacuated.

A Munich police spokeswoman said multiple people were killed or wounded. No suspects had been arrested yet, she said.

"We believe we are dealing with a shooting rampage," the spokeswoman said.

Bavarian broadcaster BR said six people were dead and many wounded in the shopping mall.

NTV television had reported the Bavarian Interior Ministry as saying three people were dead, but the ministry said later it would not confirm this.

More than one gunman was believed to be involved, the police spokeswoman said.

"We believe there was more than one perpetrator. The first reports came at 6 p.m., the shooting apparently began at a McDonald's in the shopping center. There are still people in the shopping center. We are trying to get the people out and take care of them," she said.

The shopping mall involved was built as a 1972 Olympic facility and later converted to a shopping mall.

The Munich massacre was an attack during the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, at which eleven Israeli Olympic team members were taken hostage and eventually killed, along with a German police officer, by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September.

The State Department advised Americans in Munich not to try to travel to the consulate there. "Residents have been warned not to leave their homes," the advisory warned. "For your own safety, avoid squares and streets: Perpetrators are on the run. Train and bus transport suspended. Turn radio and TV on. Munich's mainline railway station is closed, and mass transit remains halted."

The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said Friday night: "We are following the news from Munich with horror. What is behind this hideous act is not completely clear; we still have conflicting leads. But already this much is clear: We will have to mourn for many fatalities and injured."