Emrah I, an 18-year-old Austrian with Bosnian roots, was killed in a shootout with Munich police. Authorities suspect he planned a terror attack on the Israeli consulate with an antique gun with a bayonet attached to it.
ADVERTISEMENTThe man killed in a shootout with officers outside the Israeli consulate in Munich on Thursday was known to police in Austria.
Searching his home in Salzburg police say the man, identified as 18-year-old Emrah I, had been known to law enforcement since February 2023 and was investigated for terrorist links and subject to a weapons ban.
"As a result of incidents in 2023, the responsible security authority, the Salzburg district authority, has confirmed the weapons ban, suggested by the police and this would be valid until 2028," said Salzburg Police spokesperson, Hans Wolfgruber.
Emrah I, identified by authorities as an Austrian national with Bosnian roots, was spotted by police near the Israeli consulate carrying a long firearm.
He engaged in a shootout with five local police officers who opened fire with their service weapons.
"There was a sighting of a person handling a long gun here at around 0900 local. Emergency services became aware of this. There was subsequently an exchange of fire with this person. We now know that the person died in this exchange of fire," said Munich Police spokesperson, Andreas Franken.
Authorities believe he was planning an attack on the Israeli Consulate on the anniversary of the attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics but the motive is still being investigated.
"Of course, we can't say anything about the motive at the moment. That will also be the subject of the investigation. We are naturally very sensitive on a day like today and were also on site with security forces. And there were also forces here who had first contact with the perpetrator," Andreas Franken said.
As soon as the shooting started, some 500 police officers were mobilised in the area near the consulate. A police helicopter also circled over the scene, and people were asked to avoid the area via the social media platform X.
According to reports, Emrah I was carrying an antique Mauser carbine with a bayonet attached to it.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said the consulate in Munich was closed when the shooting occurred. Diplomats and employees were out of the office to attend a memorial commemorating the anniversary of the Munich Olympics attack.
Investigators believe the shooter might have had connections with the so-called Islamic State group (ISIS) and that this was an attempted terrorist attack.
The incident comes on the 52nd anniversary of the attack by Palestinian militants on the Israeli delegation at the 1972 Munich Olympics, which ended with the death of 11 Israeli team members, a West German police officer and five of the assailants.