
An 18-year-old German-Iranian man who complained he had been bullied killed nine people then himself during a gun rampage through Munich yesterday, with police probing claims he lured some of his young victims to their deaths with a promise of free McDonald's food.

A fake Facebook page reportedly told youngsters to gather in a specific fast food restaurant yesterday afternoon for the special offer. At around 5:50pm, Ali Sonboly burst from the restaurant's toilets and began 'killing the children' with a pistol, witnesses said. He then continued his bloody spree in a local shopping centre and on the streets around Munich's Olympic quarter.

A number of 'adolescents' were among the dead and several 'children' were injured, Munich Police President Hubertus Andrae said late last night. Asked whether the Facebook 'game' was linked to the attack, he replied it was 'one part of the comprehensive investigation we are conducting'.

He confirmed the attacker had dual nationality and had lived in Germany for some time - at least two years, possibly much longer. Last night German commandos raided the home the attacker shared with his parents in the suburb of Maxvorstadt. Locals described him as a 'quiet guy'.

The attack paralysed the southern German city, bringing renewed fears of terrorism to mainland Europe just a week after the Nice atrocity. A total lockdown of the area was only lifted early today when police confirmed the gunman was acting alone and had killed himself in a side street nearby and gave a 'cautious all-clear'.

The motive for the attack, which was captured in numerous dramatic videos, remained unclear this morning, however police were investigating footage posted online which showed the gunman talking of being 'bullied for seven years', raising fears it was a revenge attack on youngsters who had wronged him.

A video purporting to show the shooter, dressed in black, firing 20 shots has been posted on Twitter. The video shows him outside a McDonald's directly outside the shopping centre

But just a week after another teenager attacker launched an ISIS-inspired axe attack on a German train, witnesses in McDonald's described hearing yesterday's attacker shouting 'Allahu Akbar', or 'God is Great', a cry used by Islamist terrorists during previous attacks. And ISIS supporters took to social media in the hours after yesterday's atrocity to celebrate the killings.

Three people remain critically ill this morning following the attack, with 16 others receiving medical treatment. In total, 21 people were hurt.

The outrage began in a busy branch of McDonald's opposite Munich's Olympia shopping mall, in the city's northern Moosach district.

The gunman's body has been found half a mile from the scene after he reportedly turned the gun on himself. Police now believe he may have acted alone, after they initially went in search of three gunmen

One witness, named only as Loretta, told how she had been in the McDonald's with her son when the shooting started.

She told CNN: 'I come out of the toilet and I hear, like an alarm, boom, boom, boom. He's killing the children. The children were sitting to eat. They can't run.'

Loretta said she had been in the restrooms at the same time as the shooter, with her eight-year-old son. As he started shooting, he yelled 'Allahu Akbar', she said.

A local boy, named only as Orhan T, wept as he told how he was on the phone to a young friend when he heard gunshots down the line before the call cut out. 'We can no longer reach him,' Orhan said, 'not even his parents [can]. He's like my brother.'

One picture on social media shows a man lying on the ground with an aliminium blanket over him

Orhan's father Murat raced to the scene to try and find the youngster. All he found were 'lifeless bodies' in McDonald's and outside a nearby shop, before police cleared him from the area.

Overnight hearses arrived at the scene to removed some of the bodies.

After beginning his rampage, the crazed teen burst onto Hanauer Street outside and was captured in shocking footage aiming his pistol at bystanders and unleashing 20 rapid shots. At least one person was killed on the pavement.

The video showed the attached wearing a black t-shirt with a red backpack over it and jeans. He aims at several people just yards from him, including children, and opens fire sending them running for their lives.

He then crossed the road into the sprawling Olympia mall, one of Munich's biggest, and continued his killing spree inside.

After moving through the building he ended on a carpark roof where onlookers filmed him pacing around, apparently walking with a limp. They yelled insults at him, calling him a 'w*****', prompting an astonishing exchange between the gunman and members of the public.

Bystanders call him a 'w*****' and an 'a*******' - one of the most offensive phrases in the German language. They accuse him of being 'mad' and a 'Turk' before using a derogatory term for 'foreigner' towards him.

This sparked the gunman to reply: 'I am a German.' The bystander, who became known as 'balcony man' online, insisted: 'You're a w*****.'

The gunman claimed to have been born in Munich and brought up in a tough working class area on benefits. He ends the discussion by firing a shot towards those taunting him, sending them diving for cover.

As the first confused reports began to filter out of the area, police believed up to three gunmen were involved and were carrying 'long rifles' in an echo of Islamist attacks in Mumbai and Paris.

They lost contact with the gunman despite a patrol exchanging fire with him and he was feared to have fled onto the city's U-Bahn underground network. Over the following minutes, reports of shootings emerged across Munich - all which proved false alarms.

A mobile care and help center is erected in a parking area of a Kentucky Fried Chicken near the Olympia Einkaufzentrum (OEZ) after a shooting at the shopping mall

In reality the lone gunman had taken himself to a secluded side road and shot himself dead.

In a late-night press conference, Munich Police Presidnet Hubertus Andrae admitted his officers were only just beginning to answer the questions thrown up by the attack and couldn't yet rule out terrorism.

'The question of terrorism or a rampage is tied to motive, and we don't know the motive,' he said, adding the attacker was not previously known to police.

Forensic experts investigate the scene following a shooting rampage at the Olympia shopping mall in Munich, Germany

The gunman's body wasn't discovered until 8:30pm, leaving two-and-a-half tense hours with the city's transport networks closed and residents put on lockdown and told to stay indoors.

Workers at the Olympia mall remained cowering in their shops and offices for hours after the attack.

One employee said: 'Many shots were fired, I can't say how many but it's been a lot.

'All the people from outside came streaming into the store and I only saw one person on the ground who was so severely injured that he definitely didn't survive.

'We have no further information, we're just staying in the back in the storage rooms. No police have approached us yet.'

Police gave a 'cautious all clear' early this morning, more than seven hours after the attack began and brought much of the city to a standstill as all public transit systems were shut down amid a massive manhunt. Pictured is a body lying outside the mall

Another worker, Lynn Stein, told CNN: 'People started running. I went outside as well, more people were running outside. I think I heard more shots. Then it sounded like he went to the parking house next to the mall - several shots there.

'I saw somebody lying on the floor, presumably dead and there's a woman over them, crying.'

And witness Luan Zequiri said he was in the mall when the shooting began and 'there was a really loud scream'.

He said he saw only one attacker, who yelled an anti-foreigner slur and was wearing jack boots and a backpack.

'I looked in his direction and he shot two people on the stairs,' Zequiri told n-tv. He said he hid in a shop, then ran outside when the coast was clear and saw bodies of the dead and wounded on the ground.

Up to 100 people witnessed the shooting in the mall, police said, and were eventually safely rescued from the building by armed anti-terrorism officers who swarmed to the scene.

Fears of three attackers were initially raised by witnesses describing a car being driven at high speed from the mall. Three men were cornered by armed police nearby, stripped and arrested - but officers later said it was all a false alarm.

As hundreds of police attempted to track the suspect down, Munich's chief of police Marcus Da Gloria Martins said it was the biggest such operation in Germany for ten years.

'You must trust your local police,' he said yesterday evening amid the drama. 'The Munich police is very well trained. Firearms are a huge problem in this particular incident. We urge people to stay indoors and help us with our work.

'We've managed to evacuate people from inside and hopefully brought everyone to safety. There are people who have been traumatised by this and I can tell you they are in the double figures.'

An electrical shop next to the shopping centre was being used as a makeshift hospital to treat the casualties after the incident

As the panic rose, local reporter Lena Deutch told the BBC: 'All of the police forces are at the shopping centre and at the official places in Munich as well.

'They are trying to close everything down because we do not know where this person who's been doing the shooting is at the moment.'

An American student who witnessed the aftermath described seeing dozens of people fleeing the attack at the mall.

Thamina Stoll, 22, from Durham, North Carolina, retreated to her grandmother's flat overlooking the scene and filmed what she saw.

She told MailOnline: 'From the balcony we were able to witness about 50 people running towards our house seeking shelter. Sirens started to arrive and a helicopter appeared.'

Off-duty doctors and nurses were summoned to hospitals in Munich, with a hospital spokesperson telling DPA: 'The alarm for a 'mass attack' has been triggered'

Ms Stoll said the family felt like another family who warned them about the attacks had saved their lives.

'I feel very lucky because I had been there an hour before and I was just about to return,' she said.

'Me and my family - we were saved. We are completely safe but there were still a lot of people running.'

'God knows what would have happened to us if my family had decided to go that shopping mall half an hour later. We might not be alive now.'

THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE MUNICH MALL SHOOTER AND A MAN ON A BALCONY WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA In another video on social media a man can be heard yelling at suspect in the car park that he is a 'w*****' and an 'a******e.' And he yelled: 'Put your gun down.' Balcony man: 'You fucking a*****e you...' Gunman: 'Because of you I was bullied for 7 years...' Balcony man: 'You w****r you. you're a w****r' Gunman: '...and now I have to buy a gun to shoot you' Balcony man: 'A gun! F**k off! Your head should be cut off you a*****e' The gunman and balcony man begin shouting at each other. Balcony man apparently to people filming: 'He's got a gun here the guy has one' Unseen voice: 'F*****g Turks!' Balcony man: 'F*****g foreigner' Balcony man to someone else: 'Ey! He's got a gun! He has loaded his gun. Get the cops here. He's walking around here the w****r!' Gunman: 'I am German.' Balcony man: 'You're a w****r is what you are' Gunman: 'Stop filming!' Balcony man: 'A w****r is what you are. What the f**k are you doing?' Shooter: 'Yeah what, I was born here.' Balcony man: 'Yeah and what the f**k you think you're doing?' Gunman: 'I grew up here in the Hartz 4 (unemployment benefits in Germany) area.' Balcony man and Shooter talk at same time. Balcony man: 'Yeah treatment is something for you' Gunman: 'I haven't done anything here for (unintelligible) ... 'Please shut your mouth' Balcony man: 'You c**t you' Balcony man to people nearby: 'Hey, he's on the upper floor here.' The cameraman goes into cover as the gunman starts firing. Balcony man calls him a c***t again. Balcony man: 'They must have been s******g into your head' Gunman: 'They have not. They have not, that's the thing. They have not.' Advertisement

A 32-year-old resident of Riesstraße witnessed an attacker from his flat.

He told Focus magazine; 'I live right on the Mall. I was actually just leaving to go eat with my mum.

'But then I heard loud bangs. I watched from the balcony and saw two bodies on the ground outside of the Saturn media store.

'Then I saw the alleged perpetrator. He ran into the mall. I saw how he ran on the parking deck. He was wearing a pair of dark trousers and a Dark T-Shirt and a red backpack.

'In his hand he held a weapon that looked like a pistol. He walked around there and screamed that he was German and grew up here.

' He yelled toward our house facade, that we should stop filming. It is a very large house with many balconies – I'm guessing that at this point, almost all of the inhabitants who were at home were on the balcony and looking.

'Then he shot two times on the wall of the building. I think then he ran away. I heard even more shots, I don't know how many. Then, the first police cars arrived, with flashing lights and sirens.'

Police officers escort people from inside the shopping center as they respond to a shooting at the Olympia Einkaufzentrum (OEZ)

Another eyewitness told the magazine that she saw children among the dead.

Stefan Meyerhofer, a shop assistant, said; 'I heard muffled shots. It sounded as if they came from the direction of the centre's managment. Then all of a sudden more people walked past screaming at our store. I've holed up me then with the others who are just in the store, in an office space. We are still here.'

Neighbours of the attacker told German media that he was a 'quiet guy.'

'He lived right next to me,' German newspaper Bild quoted a neighbour as saying.

'A friend of mine went to school with him and said he was rather a quiet guy. He recognised him from the videos from the scene.'

British nationals in Germany are being advised to comply with instructions from local authorities.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are urgently investigating an incident in Munich and stand ready to provide assistance to British Nationals.'

Special force police officers stand in front of a car near the Olympia shopping mall, following a shooting rampage at the mall in Munich

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: 'Deeply shocked & saddened by #Munich shootings. My thoughts are w/ the victims, their loved ones & all #Germany at this time.'

German premier Angela Merkel was receiving updates on the situation yesterday and is due to meet officials today to be brief on the latest.

US President Barack Obama pledged support to Germany in the wake of the deadly shooting rampage, as officials said they were working to determine if any American citizens were affected.

Obama, speaking at a meeting with law enforcement officials, said: 'Our hearts go out to those who may have been injured. It's still an active situation, and Germany's one of our closest allies, so we are going to pledge all the support that they may need in dealing with these circumstances.'

The shooting comes just days after a teenage asylum seeker went on the rampage with an axe and a knife on a regional train in Germany, injuring nine people.

Police officers speak with people at a closed street near the shopping mall Olympia Einkaufzentrum OEZ in Munich following the attack

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said that teenager was believed to be a 'lone wolf' attacker who appeared to have been 'inspired' by the Islamic State group but was not a member of the jihadist network.

Authorities said he shouted 'Allahu akbar' three times as he ran through the carriage slashing passengers on the train near the southern city of Wuerzburg.

The attacker is believed to be either Afghan or Pakistani and investigators are still trying to determine his identity.

A police sniper sits in a helicopter above the scene of a shooting rampage at the Olympia shopping mall in Munich

The train rampage triggered calls by politicians in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital, to impose an upper limit on the number of refugees coming into the country.

The assailant had arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Germany in June 2015 and had been staying with a foster family in the region of the attack for the last two weeks.

A record 1.1million migrants and refugees were let in to Germany last year, with Syrians making up the largest group followed by Afghans.

Armed police patrolled the streets of Munich (left) and train stations (right) after the horrific shootings in the city this evening

In the latest attack in France, 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down 84 people, including children, in the Riviera city of Nice last week.

It was the third major attack on French soil in the past 18 months, after the jihadist carnage in Paris in November and the shootings at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in January 2015.

In March, Islamic State-claimed suicide bomb attacks at Brussels airport and a city metro station left 32 people dead.

People leave the Olympia mall in Munich, southern Germany, Friday, July 22, 2016 after several people have been killed in a shooting

In May in Germany, a mentally unstable 27-year-old man carried out a knife attack on a regional train in the south of the country , killing one person and injuring three others.

Back in Munich, the shopping centre is next to the Munich Olympic stadium, where the Palestinian militant group Black September took 11 Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them during the 1972 Olympic Games.

And Friday marked the fifth anniversary of the massacre in Oslo, Norway, by far-right extremist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people, 69 of them at a youth summer camp.

Chief of Munich Police Marcus Dagloria Martins said: 'We are at the moment after three attackers. We have about 100 people on site and we are trying to evacuate people from the site. Our priority is to catch the attackers at this stage and then we will inform you again'

Police arrested three men, near Marienplatz square following. It has not been confirmed whether the arrests have any connection to the shootings

FRENCH PRESIDENT: GERMANY WILL RESIST AND CAN COUNT ON OUR FRIENDSHIP The Munich shooting was a 'disgusting terrorist attack' aimed at stirring up fear in Germany after France was targeted last week, French President Francois Hollande said in a statement. 'The terrorist attack that struck Munich killing many people is a disgusting act that aims to foment fear in Germany after other European countries,' Hollande said in a statement. 'Germany will resist, it can count on France's friendship and cooperation,' he said, adding that he would speak with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday morning. Public figures have offered their condolences to people in Munich after a gunman murdered nine people and injured 16 others before killing himself. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson issued a statement which said: 'I am shocked and appalled by the terrible attack ...in Munich, and the loss of life. 'My thoughts are with those injured and the families of those killed. We stand ready to assist our friends in Germany. 'Our travel advice to UK nationals in the area ... is to stay indoors and follow the advice of the local authorities.' Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: 'Shocking news from Munich - my thoughts are with the people of the city at this time.' Leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron tweeted: 'My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Munich. All of Britain stands with you.' US president Barack Obama said: 'Our hearts go out to those who may have been injured. It's still an active situation and Germany is one of our closest allies so we are going to pledge all the support that they may need in dealing with these circumstances.' He said it was a 'good reminder' that people's 'way of life, our freedoms, our ability to go about our business every day' was dependent on law enforcement. Charlie Flanagan, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, said he was 'horrified' by the attack. 'Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of anyone affected by this horrific event, and we extend our deep condolences to the German people. 'My department is monitoring the situation and is in close contact with the Irish Embassy in Berlin. At this time we are not aware of any Irish citizens having being caught up in this evening's incident. 'I urge any Irish citizens in the area to follow the German authorities' advice to avoid public areas and to stay indoors.' Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said: 'Our heartfelt thoughts and sympathies are with the people of Munich, and we send our support to the German police, intelligence and emergency services who are dealing with these unfolding and tragic events. 'While it is unclear at this stage how many innocent people have been killed or injured, how many gunmen are involved, or what twisted motivation they hold, we can say one thing with certainty: anyone who tries to commit indiscriminate, mass murder against ordinary men, women and children going about their daily lives stands for nothing but evil. 'Our response cannot be to let them win by changing the way we live, or reacting ourselves with hatred and intolerance. We must stand defiant to protect our way of life, and we must take determined and unified action against anyone who wants to destroy it.' German president Joachim Gauck said: 'I am deeply shocked by the murderous attack in Munich. 'My thoughts are with all the victims and all those who are grieving or fearing for a loved one. And I feel a bond with all those who are working to protect people and save lives.' Hillary Clinton tweeted: 'Monitoring the horrific situation in Munich. We stand with our friends in Germany as they work to bring those responsible to justice.' Donald Trump posted on Facebook: 'Our prayers are with all those affected by the horrible attacks in Munich. This cannot continue. The rise of terrorism threatens the way of life for all civilised people, and we must do everything in our power to keep it from our shores.' The Republican presidential candidate later added: 'Another attack, this time in Germany. Many killed. God bless the people of Munich.' Advertisement

Chief of Munich Police Marcus Dagloria Martins talks to the media after the shootings and confirms that at least nine people are dead

Terrified shoppers were seen running for their lives from the Munich Olympia Shopping Centre, in the district of Moosach, after hearing gunshots

A second shooting was said to have taken place near Marienplatz subway station, which is just four miles from the Olympic Park area. But police could not confirm that was the case

Armed police move past onlooking media responding to a shooting at a shopping centre in Munich

Armed policemen arrive at a shopping centre in which a shooting was reported in Munich, southern Germany

People were seen running from the shopping mall to get away from the incident

A video grab of the scene around the Olympia shopping centre in the district of Moosach of Munich

The shopping centre is next to the Munich Olympic Stadium, where the Palestinian militant group Black September took 11 Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them during the 1972 Olympic Games

The area around the Munich Olympia Shopping Centre in the district of Moosach has been sealed off as emergency services try to control the situation

It is reported that the gunman fled after his shooting spree on the city underground network, which was shut down. The country's train operator confirmed the main station had been evacuated

Thamina Stoll (left), 22, of Durham, North Carolina, who is in Munich on a summer internship, filmed people fleeing the shopping centre during the attacks from her grandma's apartment. Pictured (right) is a policeman at the scene

DISTRESSING VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWS SEVERAL VICTIMS ON STRETCHERS FOLLOWING MUNICH GUN RAMPAGE By Amie Gordon for MailOnline Distressing video footage has shown several victims on stretchers following a gun rampage in Munich this evening. The city is now in lockdown tonight after at least nine people were killed and several more injured in a shooting rampage. Early reports suggest three gunmen could be behind the attack. Amid the horrific scenes, teams of medics are battling to save victims of the gun attack, as the number of people injured rises. Shocking video footage has shown several victims on stretchers following a horrific gun rampage in Munich this evening Teams of medics are battling to save and help victims of the gun attack, as the number of people injured rises A major police operation is ongoing around the city's Olympic Park, with the force warning people to stay in their homes and avoid public spaces as they admitted they don't know where the gunmen are. The shocking footage shows a number of injured people being treated by paramedics at the scene of the incident. Terrified shoppers were seen running for their lives from the Munich Olympia Shopping Centre, in the district of Moosach, after hearing gunshots. Thamina Stoll, 22, of Durham, North Carolina, who is in Munich on a summer internship, filmed people fleeing the shopping centre during the attacks from her grandmother's apartment. She said some 50 terrified people ran towards her house, seeking shelter. A major police operation is ongoing in Munich, around the city's Olympic Park, with the force warning people to stay in their homes and avoid public spaces Ms Stoll said had just visited the shopping centre with her grandmother and a cousin for an hour before the shooting started. However, she was due to return to the centre with more members of her family when her mum and dad arrived. 'When we went down to the street, we ran into another family and they were in shock,' she told MailOnline. 'They were scared and they told us not to go back to the shopping mall. 'After we were spoken to by the family, we went back upstairs to my grandma's apartment - who lives about three minutes away from the shopping mall. We took in the family. They were so scared. 'From the balcony we were able to witness about 50 people running towards our house seeking shelter. Sirens started to arrive and a helicopter appeared.' Ms Stoll said the family felt like the other family who warned them had saved their lives. 'I feel very lucky because I had been there an hour before and I was just about to return,' she said. 'Me and my family - we were saved. We are completely safe but there were still a lot of people running.' 'God knows what would have happened to us if my family had decided to go that shopping mall half an hour later. We might not be alive now.' Police officers search a residential area near the Olympia shopping centre after the shooting Policemen arrive the Olympia shopping centre in Munich, where a number of people have been killed and several more injured An earlier video purporting to show the shooter, dressed in black, firing 20 shots has been posted on Twitter. The footage shows him outside a McDonald's directly outside the shopping centre. Police have confirmed that there a multiple deaths as a result of the incident and German media have reported there may be up to 15 killed. Tonight, Munich police tweeted: 'We currently do not know where to find the perpetrators. Watch yourself and avoid to be the public'. A second shooting has taken place near Marienplatz subway station, which is just four miles from the Olympic Park area. Munich Police said in a statement: 'At around 5.50pm (local time) today there were witnesses who called the police and said there was a shooting at the Hanauer Street. 'The shooting moved from that street to the shopping centre. The witnesses said there were three different people with weapons.' Heavily armed police forces operate at Karlsplatz (Stachus) square after a shooting in the Olympia shopping centre in Munich Advertisement

First reports said a heavily armed man wandered through the shopping centre opening fire at will. Pictured are armed police on the roof of the car park

Firefighters gathering at the entrance of a shopping centre in which a shooting was reported, Munich, Germany

AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT REVEALS THE HARROWING SCENES AFTER BEING CAUGHT UP IN MUNICH ATTACK American student Thamina Stoll, of Durham, North Carolina, tried to enter the shopping centre with her family By Patrick Lion for MailOnline An American college student has revealed the harrowing scenes after she and her family were caught in the middle of the Munich shopping centre attack. Thamina Stoll, 22, of Durham, North Carolina, who is in Munich on a summer internship, filmed people fleeing the shopping centre during the attacks from her grandma's nearby apartment. She told MailOnline that she had just visited the centre with her grandma and a cousin for an hour before the shooting started. However, she was returning to the centre with more members of her family including her mum and dad. 'When we went down to the street, we ran into another family and they were in shock,' she told MailOnline. 'They were scared and they told us not to go back to the shopping mall. 'After we were spoken to by the family, we went back upstairs to my grandma's apartment - who lives about three minutes away from the shopping mall. 'We took in the family. They were so scared. 'From the balcony we were able to witness about 50 people running towards our house seeking shelter. Sirens started to arrive and a helicopter appeared.' Ms Stoll, who is studying at Duke University, said the family felt like the other family who warned them had saved their lives. 'I feel very lucky because I had been there an hour before and I was just about to return,' she said. 'Me and my family - we were saved. We are completely safe but there were still a lot of people running.' 'God knows what would have happened to us if my family had decided to go that shopping mall half an hour later. We might not be alive now.' The view Thamina Stoll had from her grandma's apartment after fleeing the shopping centre with her family People continuing to flee the shopping centre in Munich after the gunman opened fire in a restaurant Ms Stoll posted her video to Twitter, showing people fleeing the shopping centre area Ms Stoll's Tweets about the attacks continued after posting the video Advertisement

Police officers guard with guns as other officers escort people from inside the shopping centre as they respond to a shooting at the Olympic shopping mall

The Munich transit system shut down and police asked people to avoid public places and to stay in their own homes

An armed police man guards the downtown pedestrian zone near Marienplatz square following a rampage shooting in the city

An official at the Munich Olympia Shopping Centre declined comment, saying only, 'We are experiencing a problem'

German police secure the entrance to a subway station near a shopping mall where a shooting took place in Munich

It is reported that the gunman fled after his shooting spree on the city underground network

TIMELINE OF TERROR: DEADLY TERROR ATTACKS ON WEST IN LAST 12 MONTHS - BY JAKE POLDEN FOR MAILONLINE Location Date Attack Death toll Injuries Wurzburg July 18, 2016 Axe-wielding teenager attacks five people on a train



A teenage asylum seeker went on a rampage with an axe and a knife on a regional train in Germany, injuring five people in Wurzburg, Bavaria. The attacker was shot dead as he tried to flee. 0 5 Nice July 14, 2016 Terrorist drives truck into revellers on Bastille Day



A Tunisian delivery man ploughed a 19-tonne truck into crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day in the southern French city of Nice. The attack claimed the lives of 84 people, including 10 children. The driver - Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel - was shot dead by police who surrounded his truck. 84 308 Istanbul June 29, 2016 Triple suicide bombing at city's Ataturk airport



Three attackers arrived in a taxi and began firing at the terminal entrance. They blew themselves up after police fired back - with CCTV footage capturing the moment one wounded extremist detonated his explosive vest seconds after a hero officer tried to detain him. 41 230 Orlando June 12, 2016 Mass shooting at gay nightclub Pulse



Lone gunman Omar Mateen - a 29-year-old American security guard - sprayed bullets across the dancefloor before taking hostages after entering the Florida nightclub in the middle of the night armed with an AR-15. He was shot and killed by Orlando police after a three-hour standoff. 49 53 Brussels March 22, 2016 Nail bombings in Brussels Airport



Two suicide bombers carrying homemade bombs in large suitcases attacked a departure hall at Brussels Airport in Zaventem. They exploded nine seconds apart. Another explosion took place just over an hour later in the middle carriage of a three-carriage train at Maalbeek metro station.

35 340 Istanbul January 12, 2016 Suicide bomber detonates in the city's tourist-heavy historical centre



Nabil Fadli, a Syrian member of the Islamic State walked up to a tour group standing in Sultanahmet Square and blew himself up. Most of the victims were German but also came from Peru, South Korea and Norway. 13 15 Paris November 13, 2015 Bombings and shootings in Bataclan and across the French capital



A series of coordinated attacks occurred at the national stadium during a football match between France and Germany, followed by suicide bombings and mass shootings at cafés, restaurants and a music venue in the centre of the city. 137 368

Egypt October 23, 2015 Bomb brings down Russian jet over Egypt



Metrojet Flight 9268 comes down in Sinai. Shortly after the crash, the Islamic State Sinai Branch, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, claimed responsibility for the incident. 224 0 Tunisia June 26, 2015 Mass shooting at packed tourist beach



Attack occurred at Port El Kantaoui where hundreds of Brits were holidaying. Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi, disguised as a tourist, socialised with others, and then took out a Kalashnikov assault rifle concealed in a beach umbrella and fired at the tourists on the beach. He entered a hotel, shooting at people he came across. 38 39

MALLS HAVE BEEN TARGETED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM - BUT NONE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN RECENT YEARS Britain's shopping malls have been targeted by terrorists – although none have succeeded in recent years. In 2007 police foiled an Al Qaeda plot to detonate a fertiliser bomb at the busy Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. Last year, Mohammed Rehman was convicted of plotting a bomb attack on the anniversary of the 7/7 attacks on London. He had asked his Twitter followers whether he should attack the capital's Westfield shopping centre. Security officials have made plans for an attack. Staff at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, near Bristol, were advised to round up members of the public and barricade themselves in a shop. An exercise in May involved a fake suicide bomber 'detonating' explosives inside Manchester's sprawling Trafford centre, sending 800 'victims' running for cover. Advertisement

A major police operation is ongoing in Munich, around the city's Olympic Park, with the force warning people to stay in their homes and avoid public spaces as they admitted they don't know where the gunmen

Police officers respond to a shooting at the Olympia Einkaufzentrum (OEZ) at July 22, 2016 in Munich, Germany

SHOOTINGS IN MUNICH CAME FIVE YEARS TO THE DAY THAT ANDERS BREIVIK MURDERED 77 PEOPLE IN NORWAY By Victoria Finan by MailOnline The shootings in a Munich shopping centre come five years to the day that far-right activist Anders Breivik murdered 77 people on an island in Norway. At least nine people have died after a gunman opened fire at Munich Olympia Shopping Centre, in the district of Moosach, and police have put the city on lockdown advising people to stay indoors. On July 22 2011 Anders Behring Breivik exploded a car bomb in Oslo that killed nine people before driving to the island of Utoya where he gunned down 69 people — mostly teenagers — at a youth summer camp. The shootings in a Munich shopping centre come five years to the day that far-right activist Anders Breivik (pictured making a Nazi salute at his trial) murdered 77 people on an island in Norway Most of those who died on Utoya were teenagers who belonged to the youth branch of Norway's Labour party Shoppers fleeing the Munich Olympia Shopping Centre, in the district of Moosach, after a gunman killed at least six people. The city is currently on lockdown Norway paid an emotional tribute today to those who died with church services and other events marking what the prime minister called 'one of the darkest days in Norwegian history.' Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit laid wreaths at the government offices in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, whereLater they attended a memorial service at Oslo Cathedral, which also included victims' families, friends and representatives of a left-wing youth group that hosted the camp on Utoya. 'We still see traces of the terrorist acts. The missed ones will always be there. Time does not heal all wounds,' Solberg said at the memorial ceremony, where the names of all those killed were read out. 'The biggest impact is felt inside us as human beings.' Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Prime Minister Erna Solberg, right, lay wreaths during a ceremony on Utoya Island, Norway, Friday July 22, 2016. Norway is paying homage to the 77 people killed in a bombing and shooting rampage five years ago, with church services and events to mark one of the darkest days in the Scandinavian country's history In 2012, Breivik was convicted of mass murder and terrorism and given a 21-year prison sentence that can be extended for as long as he's deemed dangerous to society. Legal experts say he will likely be locked up for life. His attacks traumatized the nation of 5 million, where an estimated one in four people were affected through connections with family, friends or acquaintances of the victims. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Norway's prime minister at the time, said he had painful memories of that fateful day — July 22, 2011. 'It hurts to hear all the names read out,' Stoltenberg said. 'But it's also good to be with other people who were affected that day, and we give each other support and comfort.' In the afternoon, a ceremony was held on Utoya, a small island on a lake surrounded by wooded hills, 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Oslo. It reopened to the public a year ago, when 1,000 youth organization students enrolled for a camp held in memory of the victims. Advertisement

Special police forces rush to the scene at a shopping centre where a shooting was taking place in Munich

Police walks inside a subway station Karlsplatz (Stachus) near a shopping mall following a shooting on July 22, 2016 in Munich