Munich Shooting (2016)
The Munich shooting on July 22, 2016, was a tragic mass shooting incident in which an eighteen-year-old German-Iranian man named David Sonboly killed nine people at the Olympia Shopping Center before taking his own life. Initially perceived as a potential Islamic terrorist attack, the circumstances surrounding the shooting evolved as investigations revealed Sonboly's background and motivations. Although early reports included claims that Sonboly had shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the assault, authorities later clarified that there was no connection to Islamic extremism.
Sonboly, who had been bullied at school and struggled with depression, had a fascination with mass killings and had conducted research on previous mass murderers, including Anders Behring Breivik. The victims included individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, highlighting the broader societal implications of such violence. In the aftermath, police arrested a sixteen-year-old acquaintance of Sonboly for not reporting his plans, emphasizing the complexities of social dynamics and awareness surrounding such tragic events. The Munich shooting remains a significant topic of discussion regarding mental health, bullying, and public safety in modern society.
Subject Terms
Munich Shooting (2016)
Date: July 22, 2016
Place: Munich, Germany
Summary
The July 2016 Munich shooting was a mass shooting incident in Germany, initially believed to be an Islamic terrorist attack, in which an eighteen-year-old German-Iranian man shot and killed nine individuals and then himself at the Olympia Shopping Center in Munich.
Key Events
- July 22, 2016—David Sonboly opens fire on customers of the Olympia Shopping Center in Munich, killing nine before fleeing the scene and committing suicide.
- July 23, 2016—Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae states that the shooting was not connected to Islamic extremism.
- July 24, 2016—Munich police arrest a sixteen-year-old friend of Sonboly’s on suspicion of failing to inform police about Sonboly’s plan to conduct a mass shooting.
Status
The significance of the Olympia mall shootings has been debated in the media. Because Sonboly was of Iranian descent (having dual Iranian-German citizenship), initial reports entertained the possibility that Sonboly was an Islamic extremist. Later reports, and interviews with friends and classmates, indicated that Sonboly was rather a depressed teenager with no particular religious bent who had been bullied at school and developed an interest in mass murders. In May 2016, after turning eighteen, Sonboly had changed his name from Ali to David. After his suicide, Sonboly was discovered to have been carrying a book on school shootings. Some evidence indicates that Sonboly admired Adolf Hitler and harbored anti-immigrant sentiments. In addition, police investigation showed that Sonboly had researched mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed seventy-seven people in a mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Sonboly’s shooting occurred on the fifth anniversary of Breivik’s attack. Four of Sonboly’s victims were Turkish or of Turkish descent, while three were Kosovan or of Kosovan descent. One was Hungarian and one was of Romanian descent.
In-Depth Overview
On July 22, 2016, at around 5:50 p.m., eighteen-year-old David Sonboly entered a McDonald’s restaurant attached to Olympia Shopping Center (Olympia-Einkaufszentrum) in Munich, Germany, armed with a Glock 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol and carrying a backpack filled with ammunition. After visiting the bathroom, Sonboly emerged and began firing at customers, killing several before fleeing the scene, shooting at individuals passing on the street. Sonboly entered a nearby parking facility and climbed to the roof, where he was filmed having a conversation with bystanders and was heard stating "I am German," and, "I was born here."
Sonboly fled from the parking building after firing at pedestrians from the roof and for several hours police were unable to locate him. During this time, police issued a statement to the press urging Munich residents to remain wherever they were located until the suspect had been contained. Police also took to social media, asking residents to refrain from posting photos or videos of the incident or of police efforts to locate the assailant. The city suspended public transportation and thousands remained in restaurants, businesses, or in their homes waiting for an announcement from police. A reported 2,300 police were deployed, including members of GSG 9, a federal antiterrorism police unit. Around 8:30 p.m., two police officers on a routine patrol spotted a suspicious looking individual walking about a half mile from Olympia Shopping Center. When confronted, the suspect reportedly shot himself in the head.
An early CNN report on the incident included a statement from a witness claiming that the assailant had shouted "Allahu Akbar," or "God is great" in Arabic, during the attack. Subsequent media reports thus theorized that the attacker was an Islamic extremist. Police chief Hubertus Andrae gave a press statement after the incident in which he claimed police did not believe the incident was connected to terrorism. The police investigation revealed that Sonboly, who had grown up in Munich and whose parents were Iranian immigrants, had been suffering from psychological problems such as depression and had been bullied at school. The investigation also found that Sonboly had created a fake Facebook account, posing as a young woman, two months prior to the attack and had attempted to use the Facebook account to lure victims to the McDonalds where he began his attack, promising to buy food for the "friends" of the fake profile. On July 24, police announced they had arrested a sixteen-year-old Afghan youth, said to be a friend of Sonboly’s, who may have been guilty of failing to inform police about Sonboly’s plans, but was not believed to have directly helped Sonboly carry out the attack.
Key Figures
Hubertus Andrae: Munich chief of police.
David Sonboly: Eighteen-year-old German-Iranian who attacked visitors to the Olympia Shopping Center in Munich before taking his own life.
Bibliography
Graham-Harrison, E., Schmidt, J., Connolly, K., & Woolf, N. (2016, July 23). Munich attack: Teenage gunman kills nine people at shopping centre. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/22/munich-shopping-centre-evacuated-after-reported-shooting-germany
Hume, T. (2016, July 24). Munich gunman planned attack for a year, officials say. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/24/europe/germany-munich-shooting/
Johnston, C. (2016, July 24). Who were the Munich shooting victims? Eight of nine dead under 20 years old. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/23/victims-of-munich-shooting-were-predominately-teenagers
Munich shooting: David Sonboly "planned attack for year." (2016, July 24). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36878436
Rothwell, J., Huggler, J., & Finnigan, L. (2016, July 24). Ali Sonboly: Everything we know about the Munich gunman. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/23/munich-shooting-everything-we-know-about-the-shopping-centre-gun/
Shoichet, C. E., Ellis, R., & Hanna, J. (2016, July 23). Munich shooting: 9 victims, gunman dead, police say. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/22/europe/germany-munich-shooting/
Troianovski, A. (2016, July 24). Following the Munich gunman’s trail. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/following-the-munich-gunmans-trail-1469319787