The gunman in yesterday’s deadly attack in a Munich shopping centre has been named as Ali Sonboly, an 18-year-old Iranian-German, who lured his victims on Facebook with promises of free food from McDonald’s.
Reports say that Sonboly, who killed nine and injured 16 before turning his gun on himself, posed as a teenage girl called ‘Selina Akim‘ on the social network, and used this account to send an invitation to his victims.
Robert Heimberger of the Bavarian state criminal agency confirmed this in a press conference, saying that Sonboly “said he would treat them to what they wanted [at the restaurant] as long as it wasn’t too expensive.”
The teenager was not known to police, however, a number of books on school shootings were found in a search of his room, and Munich’s chief prosecutor described him as “a classic lone gunman without political motivation.”
Among his possessions, Sonboly had a German translation of the book Why Kids Kill by Dr Peter Langman. Speaking to The Telegraph, Langman said he was “distressed” at the thought of it being used in the wrong way, adding:
“It’s disturbing, I don’t know why he had the book. It could be he was better trying to understand himself because he needed mental health treatment and he was trying to get help. Or it could be he was looking for a role model … It’s difficult to explain these attacks just focusing on one problem – like bullying or mental health problems. It’s always going to be a combination of factors.”
Police in Munich have given a “cautious all clear” in the city, where public transit systems were shut down and citizens urged to stay indoors in the wake of the attack.
Source: The Telegraph.
Photo: Supplied.
