BERLIN — German police shot and killed a suspect near Israel’s Consulate General in Munich on Thursday, Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann confirmed.

"The man was carrying a long gun and had fired several shots,” Herrmann said, noting that police forces were alerted and quickly responded to the threat.

The incident occurred near a museum documenting Nazi crimes, close to the Amerikahaus cultural center and Israel’s Consulate General in the city center.

Herrmann stated that while the suspect’s motive was not immediately clear, the location and actions suggested it was likely not a coincidence.

“If someone parks his car directly in sight of the Israeli Consulate General, walks around with a gun, and starts shooting, it is highly probable that it’s not a coincidence,” Herrmann added.

Munich police spokesman Andreas Franken identified the suspect as an 18-year-old Austrian citizen but withheld further details due to the ongoing investigation.

Reports from German media outlets WDR, NDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung indicated that the suspect was known to authorities as a religious extremist.

Following the incident, the streets around the consulate were cordoned off, and special police units were deployed as a precaution.

Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to gather more information about the incident. — Agencies