Munich gunman had been planning massacre for year
Lord Provost offers condolences to mourners in capital’s twin city
THE teenager behind the deadly shooting rampage in Munich had been planning his attack for a year after developing an obsession with mass shootings.
Investigators say the gunman, an 18-year-old German-Iranian named as David Ali Sonboly, visited the site of a previous school shooting in the German town of Winnenden last year and took photographs.
Searches of his flat also unearthed a mass of newspaper clippings and books about mass killings, including the massacre five years to the day by the Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Breivik, who murdered 77 young people.
Sonboly is said to have meticulously planned the attack in which he killed nine and wounded 27 others –10 critically – before taking his own life.
Police announced yesterday evening that they had arrested a 16-year-old friend of the attacker.
They said he was under investigation for not reporting Sonboly’s plans. Reports suggested he may also have played a role in the Facebook post inviting people to meet at the fast-food restaurant where the shooting began.
Bavarian investigator Robert Heimberger said there was a lot of information to evaluate, but so far there is no evidence that he knew any of the victims, or that there was any political motivation for the attack.
However, the gunman, whose family are still too upset to be interviewed, had received both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment in the last year to help him deal with “fears of contact with others”.
Among those killed at the Olympia shopping centre on Friday were two 14-year-old Kosovan girls, Armela Segashi and Sabina Sulaj, and their Turkish friends Can Leyla, 14 and Selcuk Kilic, 15, according to reports.
A 17-year-old named in reports as Hussein Daitzik, of Greek origin, is said to have been shot dead as he heroically shielded his sister.
Other victims include Guilliano Kollman, 18, Dijamant Zabergja, 21, whose father Naim visited the
‘‘ The gunman had received treatment both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment
scene yesterday to lay flowers, and Sevda Dag, a 45-year-old Turkish woman. A further 27 people were injured, including a 13-year-old boy.
As the names of the victim began to emerge, candlelit vigils were held across Munich to mourn the victims.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the tragedy had plunged Germany into “deep and profound mourning” that left a “night of horror” in the memories of the people of Munich.
In Scotland, flags flew at half mast in Edinburgh in solidarity with its twin city.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, said: “On behalf of the citizens of Edinburgh, I offer our sincere condolences to the people of Munich and across Germany.
“Edinburgh has enjoyed a close relationship with Munich since becoming our very first twin city in 1954, so yesterday’s events are particularly moving. Our thoughts are with the families of all those who have died and are injured.”
As details of the killer emerged, it appeared that he attempted to lure victims to a McDonald’s opposite the shopping centre with a fake Facebook profile offering free food.
The posting, sent from a young woman’s account, urged people to go to the centre at 4pm, saying: “Come today at four o’clock to McDonald’s at OEZ [shopping centre]. I am giving away anything you want as long as expensive.”
Officials said the killer used a 9mm pistol and had 300 rounds of ammunition in his rucksack.
Police said the weapon was a Glock 17 handgun, which had had its serial number illegally filed off. The shooting has led to calls for the military to be deployed with police during such attacks.
Meanwhile, a machete attack left it’s not too one woman dead and two other people injured in an attack yesterday in south-west Germany.
Witnesses said the incident happened after an argument broke out between the attacker, a Syrian asylum-seeker, and the woman in the town of Reutlingen, near Stuttgart. The 21-year-old suspect was arrested and police said there was no indication that it was a terrorist attack.