Close call abroad stuns students

A group of Feilding students touring Europe for a jazz festival got a scare after discovering they had visited a German mall just a day before a gunman went on a murderous rampage there.

While in Munich in July, the Feilding High School jazz group Neon Fusion went to the same shopping plaza where 10 people were killed and 36 injured by Iranian-german David Sonboly.

Sonboly, 18, opened fire at a Mcdonald’s, west of the Olympia Shopping mall, just before 6pm on July 22. Shortly afterwards, Sonboly killed himself.

Student Ainslee Smithers said the initial shock at discovering the coincidence was then followed by a period of reflection.

‘‘I think we were just all happy to be safe. It was quite scary knowing we were so close.

‘‘In New Zealand it’s a lot safer and you’re not used to that sort of thing,’’ she said.

‘‘We all messaged our parents to say we were safe that night, they were a bit worried.’’

Smithers said the events had not changed her view of Munich and she would love to visit Germany again one day.

‘‘I would really like to get back despite it all. Munich was a beautiful city and the people were really friendly, so it didn’t change that view.’’

Head of Music at Feilding High School Danielle Grove said she felt a lot of pressure to keep the students safe after the attack.

‘‘We were having a really awesome barbecue and jam session at the time, but I didn’t tell them until we were safe back at the hotel. Some of them were quite upset, but we were lucky to only have had one day left before we went home.

Grove said the group had to cancel a small tour of the city planned for the next day, but was otherwise unaffected.

‘‘If it happened at the beginning we would have probably had to come home.’’

Grove said the trip was still a success. The group got the chance to meet and learn from internationally renowned producer Quincy Jones and attended the Montreux Jazz Festival, the second largest festival of its kind in the world.

The trip cost each student $9000.