An armed man has been fatally shot by German police near the Nazi documentation centre and Israeli consulate in the southern city of Munich.
The man was hit during an exchange of fire with police. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said later that the suspect had died.
Police said a man had been spotted in the area carrying a long firearm and five officers then exchanged fire with their service weapons.
They said there were no indications of any other suspects. Police cordoned off the area around Karolinenplatz, close to the centre of the city.
People were told to avoid the area around Karolinenplatz and neighbouring Briennerstrasse and those in nearby residential or office buildings were urged to stay inside.
Police said they were working to “clarify” the situation and warned against speculation.
A police helicopter circled over the area and the public were asked not to post images of the incident on social media.
Munich’s documentation centre for the history of National Socialism opened nine years ago on the site of the former Nazi party’s headquarters or “Brown House”.
After the shooting, police decided to raise security at Munich’s main synagogue, according to local reports.
The incident took place 52 years to the day after the 1972 attack on Israeli athletes by gunmen from Palestinian militant group Black September.
Eleven athletes and a police officer were killed in the hostage ordeal.
The Israeli consulate was closed at the time of the shooting because it was holding a memorial service for those who died in 1972. No-one at the consulate was hurt.
Israeli Consul Talya Lador thanked the police for their response to the attack and said the incident showed “how dangerous the rise of antisemitism is”.
Joachim Herrmann said the incident was clearly connected to the Nazi history centre and consulate, as well as the Amerikahaus, although he said that still had to be confirmed. The Amerikahaus lays on exhibitions and programmes on relations with the US.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that protecting Jewish and Israeli institutions was of the highest priority.
“It’s very sad the incident took place in front of the Nazi documentation centre and Israeli general consulate,” she said.
