At least 28 people were injured Thursday when a car plowed into a crowd in what German authorities called a "suspected attack," as officials say there are indications the suspect may have "an extremist background."
The incident came the day before a major security conference attended by world leaders was set to begin. Vice President JD Vance is among those due to address the conference.
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WATCH HEREThe U.S. Secret Service told NBC News: "There was no protective impact to the VP but we are monitoring that incident closely and German authorities are still investigating a potential motive."
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SIGN UP 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.
Police said an officer fired a shot at the car involved in the incident and the driver of the car was “secured” and arrested. Police said the suspect was slightly injured but did not have a gunshot wound.
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Police said the suspect, an asylum-seeker who lives in Munich, was known to authorities for drug and theft incidents.
The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office and Bavarian Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism has taken over the probe due to “indications of an extremist background,” a police news release said.
Thus far, no others are known to be involved in the incident.
Munich police said the suspect will appear before a judge Friday.
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, Bavaria Gov. Markus Söder confirmed the incident is being treated as a possible attack. Earlier, Munich police said at least two people were seriously injured.
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter said that children were among those injured, The Associated Press reported.
"This is simply terrible, ladies and gentlemen, when you receive the news, that once again someone rammed their car into a group of people. There are a lot of injured. It's a slap in the face," Söder said.
"We sympathize with the people, but we also need the determination to change things in Germany and fast," he added without specifying exactly what he believed officials needed to do differently.
In December, five people were killed and 200 injured when a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in eastern Germany.
Police spokesman Thomas Schelshorn told NBC News at the scene that a motive remains unclear, but confirmed that a trade union demonstration had been taking place nearby.
The Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of politicians and defense officials from across the world, is set to begin Friday amid a large police presence and tight security protocol.
Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to meet with U.S. partners at the summit to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Bavarian State Interior Minister Joachim Hermann said at the scene this morning: “We do not know at the moment and do not assume that there is any connection with the security conference. But the motivation of this Afghan perpetrator must, of course, be investigated more closely.”
The Munich Security Conference posted on X that the organization was “deeply saddened” to learn of the car plowing incident, adding: “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
The suspected attack comes 10 days before Germany's federal elections.
Carlo Angerer reported from Munich, Patrick Smith reported from London.
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