Incident occurs as Munich marks the 1972 Olympics massacre, heightening concerns over antisemitic violence.
On Thursday, Munich police fatally shot an armed individual outside the Israeli consulate and the Holocaust museum, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1972 Olympic terror attacks. The incident is currently under investigation, but no other injuries were reported.
Speaking in Berlin, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized the seriousness of the situation, reaffirming the country’s commitment to safeguarding Jewish and Israeli institutions. Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the act, referring to it as an attempted terror attack. After speaking with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Herzog expressed gratitude for the rapid response by German security forces and extended support to those affected.
The shooter, identified as an 18-year-old Austrian, was carrying an automatic weapon when spotted by police around 9 am in Munich’s university district. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann suggested the attack appeared to be a failed antisemitic assault, noting that the gunman deliberately fired at officers after parking near the Israeli consulate.
The shooting took place near the Nazi documentation center, a site dedicated to Holocaust education, and the Israeli consulate, both located near Karolinenplatz. The gunman was severely wounded in the exchange and later died from his injuries.
This incident follows heightened concerns in Germany, just two weeks after a deadly Islamist attack in Solingen left three people dead. That attack, carried out by a Syrian man living illegally in Germany, reignited a national debate on immigration policy and law enforcement’s ability to manage politically motivated violence.
Thursday’s shooting took place on a day of solemn remembrance for Munich, as the city honored the victims of the 1972 Olympic massacre, where Palestinian gunmen killed 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer. In light of the anniversary, the Israeli consulate was closed at the time of the attack, according to Talya Lador-Fresher, Israel’s Consul General for Southern Germany.
Lador-Fresher highlighted the broader implications of the event, calling attention to the alarming rise in antisemitism. “This shows just how dangerous the resurgence of antisemitism is,” she remarked, urging the public to stand against it.
(Associated Medias) – All rights reserved