Nine dead in shooting rampage in Munich

With that we will end our live coverage for the evening. We'll bring you further updates tomorrow as the investigation continues.

23.59: BR are reporting around 20 injured. Also saying the body found in Olympia Park is probably that of the first man to draw his weapon at the shopping centre.

23.40: In further sign that police are easing security controls, people holed up in a nearby supermarket have been allowed out after four hours.

Lori Schiesl, a student in Munich, is back on the streets and says everything has almost returned to normal. People are sitting outside drinking and eating in restaurants.

"It's calmer than in a normal Friday but she says she hears laughter and it feels like people are trying to bring things back to normal."

23.29: Mosques are keeping their doors open all night to offer sanctuary to those who have nowhere to go as part of the offenetuer hashtag that has been trending.

23.21: CNN are quoting witness who reports gunman saying 'Allahu Akbar' This is not confirmed, and as other witnesses reportedly heard gunman say "fucking foreigners" all these accounts should be treated with suspicion.

German media also not reporting the Allahu Akbar claim.

23.18: Police are saying that the S-Bahn and public transport are still not in operation.

23.15: The national security council, headed by Angela Merkel is to meet in Berlin on Saturday, her Chief of Staff has said. 

23.05: BR also reports gradual easing of situation with some people who had shut themselves inside restaurants now slowly making their way back out.

23.00: BR are reporting that ninth body which is male is probably that of a gunman. He reportedly has a red rucksack with him. Police are approaching with extreme caution as they don't know what is in bag.

The body was found in the Olympic Village around 1 kilometre away from where the shooting took place.

22:56: Herrmann says that the police are working on the assumption that "up to three" shooters were involved. He added that there was a strong police presence in the city, although there is no indication that the situation extends beyond the shopping centre.

Meanwhile, Munich police have requested that anyone at an event in the city remain in the building until the situation is resolved, rather than trying to get home. Public transport is still closed off in the city.

22:51: Herrman reaffirms that the situation is confined to the shopping centre, following earlier reports of multiple shootings across Munich, which have now been debunked.

However, he says it is still a good idea for those in the area to stay inside.

22:49: A correspondent from American news channel CBS points out that reports of multiple shooters are common in cases of lone shooter, for example with the Dallas shootings; it is likely due to gunshot echoes, as well as general confusion.

Earlier reports of "at least three" shooters in Munich were corrected to "at least one".

22:44: Police have found another body by the shopping mall, and are now investigating whether this was the shooter, a spokesperson from the Interior Ministry has said, according to reports in Der Spiegel.

Munich police confirmed this news on their Twitter account. In their French language tweet, they referred to 'un suicidant', confirming that the person killed themself.

22:29: Munich police have confirmed that the death toll has risen to eight.

22.23: The deputy editor of Spiegel's foreign desk is saying reports of other shooting sites have now been debunked. Bavaria's Interior Minister, Joachim Herrmann, also corrected an earlier statement referring to "at least three" shooters; he meant "at least one".

22.21: President Gauck says he is "deeply upset" about the events in Munich this evening; he also adds that he is supporting the emergency services who are working to protect and save lives.

22.13: Facebook has enabled its Safety Check feature.

22.11: The GSG9, the elite German anti-terrorism unit, has also been dispatched to assist in the operation.

22.08: British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson tweets about shootings:

22.06: Barack Obama has been commenting on the situation. From the White House he said: "Our hearts go out to those who may have been injured. We are going to pledge all the support they may need."

22.03: Police tell BR there is "currently no indication of an Islamist background."

22.01: A video is spreading on social media which shows someone on a rooftop apparently talking with one of the shooters. The man on the roof can be heard shouting "scheiss Knacken" which is a racist insult for people from Turkey and the Middle East. The man responds "I was born in Germany." The two people can be heard speaking in fluent German to one another, which appears to be their mother tongue.

It is not clear whether this video is authentic and it is hard to draw any conclusions from watching it.

21.42: Bild says police have drafted in support from forces in Austria

21.38: Police confirm six dead.

21.18: Bild is reporting that this is a possible far-right attack, with eye witnesses apparently reporting that one had boots on associated with the neo-Nazi scene and that he shouted "fucking foreigners."

However a prominent Green Party politician called for people not to speculate saying "unclear yet if these are Isis bastards or Breivik bastards or whatever. So stop announcing stuff and wait for authorities."

21.10: "We are all in a state of shock," Hubertus Breuer, a journalist who lives in Schwabing and has holed himself up at home with his wife, young child and two friends, told The Local.

20:59: From AFP: Munich police warn of "acute terror situation", according to reports.

More helicopters have arrived and are circulating over the city, German media are reporting.

20:54: All motorists have been asked to avoid motorways leading to Munich, in order to allow emergency services vehicles free passage to the city.

20.36: Video has been circulating on social media which shows a man walk in front of a McDonalds and pull out a gun before firing at pedestrians. People in the video can be heard talking to each other in German, with one saying "he is coming this way." At this stage the video has not been authenticated.

20:31: Off-duty doctors and nurses have been summoned to hospitals in Munich, with a spokesperson for one hospital telling DPA: "The alarm for a 'mass attack' has been triggered."

20:27: Bayerische Rundfunk reports that the main train station has been evacuated, meanwhile public transport has been completely stopped in the Munich area.

20.19: According to AFP: At least six people are believed to have been killed in the shooting rampage, a police source said. This is unconfirmed.

20.17: Now police are tweeting in English and French of "unconfirmed reports of more violence and possible gunfire in city centre".

20.13: Police ask people not to takes photos of the operation which could help the fugitives.

20.11:  Die Welt reports that earlier rumours of a second shooting at Stachus in the city centre were a false alarm.

20.10: Police from Nuremberg, in northern Bavaria, are on their way to Munich to help in the operation.

20.07: Police are giving more details on the attack on Facebook.

At 5.50 pm, eyewitnesses started calling police. The shooting started in Hanauer Straße, then Riesstraße then Olympia Einkaufszentrum. Witnesses reported three people with firearms.

20.02: The hashtag #offenetuer is being used to offer shelter to those who can't get home, after all public transport in the city centre was stopped and police advised those in Munich to avoid public places (in the same way that #porteouverte was used in Paris and Nice following attacks).

20.00: Interior ministry tells Bild there are three dead and several more injured.

19.57: "We're trying to bring the situation under control. We don't have any indication as to where the assailants have gone," a police spokesperson told dpa. 

19.53: Police seem to confirm that there were several attackers, saying "we don't know at this stage where the attackers are. Please be careful and don't go outside."

19.48: Lori Schiesl, an American student who lives in the Maxvorstadt neighbourhood in the centre of the city, told The Local that the situation is "crazy" where she lives and that police cars and ambulances are passing the house every few minutes.

At first she said all the sirens were heading north. But worryingly as rumours circulate of further shooters the sirens seem to be heading in several different directions.

She also said that the street outside her house was completely empty so it seems the police's warnings to avoid public areas are working.

19.42: Police say they know of rumours of a further shooting in city and re-emphasize that people should avoid all public spaces.

19.38: There are reports of higher casualties figures being reported in international media. But these come from a Munich tabloid which stated they were unconfirmed, and they are best treated with a certain amount of caution at this stage.

19.32: The Bild newspaper reported that the gunman ran through the mall near the Olympic stadium in the southern German city, firing on several people before fleeing in the direction of a nearby metro station.

19.22: Police now warning people to avoid public spaces in Munich general.

19.17: A report from BR, quoting a police spokesperson, referred to "multiple perpetrators" who had fired shots close to a McDonalds outside the OEZ, and then fled into the shopping centre. The spokesperson was not able to confirm reports of fatalities.

19.15: Police say the situation is unclear, suggesting shooter is still at large. They also say there are several injuries and warn people to avoid the area around the Olympic Park in the north of the city.

German media including Bayerische Rundfunk (BR) reported that shots have been fired at the Olympia-Einkaufszentrum in Munich on Friday afternoon and that hundreds of police officers are now at the scene.

BR is also reporting that public transport in the area has been closed down and that police are asking people not to approach the area in the north of the city.

"There is a major police operation under way in the shopping centre," Munich police said on Twitter, without elaborating.

According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), which cited police, several people have been killed and the police have responded with a large-scale operation.

Authorities are saying that it is likely a lone gunman.

The SZ has been in contact with employees inside the building who say they are trapped in their shops. On social media people have been posting pictures of police helicopters in the air in the area.

This tweet shows the location of the incident in Munich

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 five people.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the 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.

It also follows a truck attack in the French Riviera city of Nice after Bastille Day fireworks last week that left 84 people dead.

More to follow...

with AFP