According to preliminary police information, the cause was a quarrel between two rival groups of teenagers: one side sprayed an irritant, presumably pepper spray, and left the scene. As a result, four people were taken to hospital, and more than 30 casualties and bewildered shopping centre visitors received medical assistance on site.
How the Panic Began
Almost everyone in Munich knows the name OEZ: it is how residents abbreviate Olympia-Einkaufszentrum, or, in plainer English, the Olympic Shopping Centre. It was here that someone sprayed tear gas.
First one person began to cough, then several more near them. Within minutes, dozens of people rushed towards the side entrance of the shopping centre; some were gasping for breath, others simply did not understand what was happening and instinctively ran after the crowd. Police and firefighters were summoned to the scene immediately.
What Happened at the Side Entrance
The affected people gathered outside; some were breathing deeply, trying to recover, while others had tears streaming from irritated eyes. One woman looked particularly shaken, and it was she who called the police and fire brigade. “I want to get out of here. I was here during the attack. I just want to go home!” she told journalists.
The first rescuers arrived within a few minutes, among them personnel in protective suits trained to deal with unknown irritants. In all, about twenty police and fire service vehicles were deployed to the shopping centre.
How Assistance Was Provided to the Injured
Paramedics at the scene examined more than 30 people. This figure includes those who were later hospitalised. An ambulance took four to hospital, while the other casualties, with mild complaints, went home on their own. In its press release, the police gave no details on the condition of those hospitalised.
Many of the affected were bewildered and bombarded the rescuers with the same questions: what they had inhaled, whether it was dangerous and whether it was worth going to hospital at all. Firefighters stayed close to the people while paramedics checked each casualty’s condition in turn.
What Is Known About the Attackers
Police carried out a detailed search of the shopping centre and the surrounding area, but no trace of the attackers was found at the scene. Investigators now expect to obtain CCTV footage. In the view of the police, it is most likely to help identify those involved in the attack so that they can be prosecuted.
According to initial information, the victims suffered brief poisoning, most likely from pepper spray, but the police have not yet definitively confirmed this. It cannot be ruled out that the substance was something else. The Munich police press office would say only that a quarrel had broken out between two rival groups of teenagers shortly before the spraying.
Why This Matters
The present incident is particularly alarming for one further reason: in July 2016, one of the most serious attacks in Munich’s recent history took place at this very shopping centre, with nine people, all of them teenagers, among the victims. For that reason, even the spraying of an irritant gas, which in itself did not endanger the lives of most of those affected, caused genuine panic among OEZ visitors, rather than mere shock.
The police have opened a criminal case for causing bodily harm, since under German law this offence also applies where harm is inflicted by means of substances hazardous to health. At present, four casualties remain in hospital, more than 30 people received medical assistance on site, and about twenty police and fire service vehicles were deployed at the scene. The attackers are still at large, and the investigation has yet to establish both the exact composition of the substance sprayed and the identities of those involved in the attack.
