Munich police shoot gunman during major operation in city center

LONDON– Munich police shot a “suspicious person” in the area of ​​Karolinenplatz in the southern German city on Thursday morning, authorities said. A “suspicious person” was shot as part of a “major operation,” police said in a statement.

Munich police said in a statement on social media that officers deployed at the scene encountered an armed 18-year-old suspect and engaged in a shootout with him.

“The suspect was fatally injured,” police said. “There are currently no indications of other suspects or other injuries.”

The 18-year-old suspect is an Austrian citizen who lives in Austria, Munich police said. At the time of the shooting, he was carrying an “older carbine with a bayonet attached,” officials said. The suspect had parked a car near the crime scene, police said.

The area was cordoned off and a helicopter was flying over the crime scene, police said. Police later gave the all-clear and assured people in the area that “there is no longer any danger to the population.”

The shooting occurred next to the city’s Nazi Documentation Center, police said. Authorities urged residents to “avoid this area as much as possible” while the investigation continued and warned of road closures and public transport disruptions in the area.

The Nazi Documentation Center is one of the city’s most popular museums and is located halfway between the famous Karolinenplatz and Königsplatz, northwest of the medieval Old Town. It is less than 150 meters from the Israeli Consulate.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that a “shooting incident” had occurred near the consulate, noting that the facility was closed on Thursday, coinciding with the anniversary of the deadly terrorist attack at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

“No consulate staff were injured in the incident,” the ministry spokesman said. “The shooter was neutralized by German security forces and the incident is currently being handled by them.”

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Victoria Beaule and Dana Savir contributed to this report.