German police shoot armed suspect near Israeli consulate in Munich

Heavily armed officers secure Munich’s Karolinenplatz on Thursday after they shot dead an armed man near the Nazi Documentation Center and the Israeli consulate. Photo: Anna Szilagyi/EPA-EFE

The incident occurred on the anniversary of a massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics in the city, in which 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and a German policeman were killed by Palestinian militants, amid a conflict with Israel that continues to this day.

When Thursday’s incident occurred, the Israeli consulate was closed for a memorial ceremony marking the 52nd anniversary of the attack.

Herrmann said the police are investigating whether there is a connection with the anniversary. However, he assumes that there is undoubtedly a connection to the Nazi History Center and the consulate.

Residents of residential and office buildings in the area were ordered to stay in their homes, while police cordoned off Karolinenplatz and neighboring Briennerstrasse and asked people to stay away from the area.

Police said they were trying to determine the shooter’s intentions and ensure safety in the area, but warned against spreading rumors on social media and asked the public not to post photos and videos.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser spoke of a “serious incident” and said that protecting Israeli and Jewish institutions in the country was a top priority.

Israeli Consul General Talya Lador praised the German authorities’ handling of the incident, which she said demonstrated the very real threat posed by anti-Semitism.

“We are very grateful to the Munich police for their actions and cooperation. This incident shows how dangerous the rise of anti-Semitism is,” she said in a post on X.

“It is important that the public raises its voice against this.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned what he considered a terrorist attack and said he had spoken to his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the phone.

“Together we expressed our condemnation and horror at the terrorist attack this morning near the Israeli consulate in Munich,” Herzog wrote on X.

“On the day our brothers and sisters in Munich wanted to commemorate our brave athletes who were murdered by terrorists 52 years ago, a hateful terrorist came and tried again to murder innocent people.

“I would like to thank the German security authorities for their rapid intervention and assure everyone affected of my support. Together we stand strong against terrorism.”

Karolinenplatz is under heavy police protection because the Nazi Documentation Center is located on the former site of the so-called “Brown House,” the former party headquarters of Adolf Hitler’s NSDAP, while the Israeli consulate is located just a few meters away in the same complex.

The authorities estimate the risk of attack for both buildings to be high.