A routine Thursday morning in Munich’s city center was shattered by gunfire. A young woman came face-to-face with the shooter before fleeing to safety.
Chaos erupts in Munich’s Maxvorstadt district
On Thursday morning, September 5, around 9:30 AM, the peaceful atmosphere in Munich’s Maxvorstadt district was abruptly disrupted by blaring sirens. Police vehicles with flashing lights raced towards Karolinenplatz, not just one or two, but dozens. A police helicopter thundered overhead.
Multiple shots had been fired moments earlier in the area between the NS Documentation Center, the Israeli Consulate General, and the Academy of Engineering Sciences. Heavily armed police officers quickly cordoned off the area with red and white tape, preventing anyone from entering. The tension among the officers was palpable as bewildered passersby stopped to watch and some drivers expressed frustration over road closures.
Eyewitness account: “I looked him in the face”
Amidst the commotion, a young woman stood alone at the side of the street, visibly shaken and frantically typing on her phone. Witnesses reported that she had rushed out of the Academy of Engineering Sciences building just minutes earlier. Speaking in English, the 20-year-old recounted her terrifying experience:
“I saw him clearly, looked him right in the face. The man had light skin, he was blond, tall, and slim.”
The young woman, originally from Georgia, explained that she had been working at the Academy when a man with a gun suddenly entered and began shooting. When the attacker paused to reload, she and a friend fled to a cleaning closet. She showed video footage on her phone: a blurry image of a cleaning cart and cleaning supplies, suddenly interrupted by a deafening bang. In the background, the voices of responding emergency personnel could be heard shouting, “Shots fired! Shots fired at us. Come back, come back, come back!”
Aftermath and ongoing investigation
At the time of her account, the young woman was unsure if anyone had been injured. She had lost contact with her friend during their escape from the building but confirmed via phone that both were physically unharmed. “I was so scared,” she said, repeatedly running her hand nervously over her face.
As hundreds of police officers continued their operation at the scene, a helicopter circled overhead. Life gradually resumed around the cordoned-off area, with redirected traffic, gardeners returning to work, and tourists continuing their visits – all under the bright sunshine, as if nothing had happened.
Shortly after, it was announced that the gunman had been shot and killed by police. The shooter was identified as an 18-year-old Austrian national, reportedly known to authorities as an Islamist. As of the time of reporting, officials had not yet provided information on the exact motive for the attack.
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