MUNICH, Germany— German police said Thursday that at least 28 people were injured when a car plowed into a crowd in the city of Munich in what officials called a “suspected attack.”
The incident came the day before a major security conference attended by world leaders was set to begin.
The car driven by a 24-year-old Afghan struck pedestrians around 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. ET) in the city center, and prompted a “major” operation, police said. The driver of the car had been “secured” and poses no further threat, police said.
Press photos from the scene show the car involved was a white Mini, with personal belongings including shoes, a pair of glasses and a stroller strewn across the road.
In a news conference, Markus Söder, governor of the state of Bavaria, provided details on the incident and confirmed it is being treated as a possible attack. Earlier, Munich police said at least two of those hurt were seriously injured.
A large presence of police and firefighters was at the scene and police have warned the public to avoid the area.
Police spokesman Thomas Schelshorn told NBC News at the scene that the possible motive remains unclear, but confirmed that a trade union demonstration had been taking place nearby.
The Munich Security Conference, which is an annual meeting of politicians and defense officials from across the world, is set to get underway on Friday amid a large police presence and tight security protocol.
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend, and are slated to meet with U.S. partners in order to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine while at the summit.
The suspected attack comes 10 days before Germany’s federal elections.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
