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Several cars went up in flames.
Image: dpa
Two dead, booby traps in a burning house and a threat against the world's biggest folk festival: what is known so far about the events in Munich.
A house on fire with booby traps, two dead, two injured and an explosives threat against the Oktoberfest: there are still many unanswered questions about the events in Munich. An overview of the events on October 1.
In the morning, there are explosions and a fire in a residential building in the Lerchenau district of Munich. Explosive devices are found in the house, there is also a completely burnt-out van on site and a suspicious object is found in other burnt-out cars nearby. The police are not yet saying what it is.
Two women, a 21-year-old and an 81-year-old, are taken to hospital with injuries. According to the police, there is also a dead person in the affected residential building - but it is too dangerous to retrieve them for the time being. Investigators assume that this is the 90-year-old homeowner and father of the alleged perpetrator.
The suspect is a 57-year-old German resident in Starnberg. According to the police, he has not yet made a police appearance - he is "so far a blank slate", also in the area of state security, it is said. The man was found seriously injured in the morning at Lake Lerchenau, which is close to the burning house.
He later dies. The police assume that he committed suicide. He had a rucksack with an explosive device in it. Searches are carried out at his registered address in the course of the morning. The 21-year-old injured woman is the suspect's daughter, the 81-year-old his mother.
The authorities assume that the 57-year-old set fire to the house and the cars because of a family dispute and planted the booby traps. He leaves a letter with threats against the Oktoberfest. As a result, the Oktoberfest is closed for hours.
The largest folk festival remains closed for hours on Wednesday. The city writes of an "unspecified explosive threat in connection with the explosion in the north of Munich". The Oktoberfest grounds are searched, 25 to 30 sniffer dogs are deployed and more than 500 police officers. Employees also have to leave the Oktoberfest. In the afternoon, Mayor Reiter announces: The Wiesn reopens at 5.30 pm. When the time finally comes, thousands of partygoers stream onto the grounds.
The exact background to the crime and the motive are initially unclear. The police assume that the house was set on fire "as part of a family dispute". According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, the 57-year-old doubted the paternity of his daughter - and therefore contacted the authorities. Although a medical report had confirmed paternity, the man argued that the analysis institute had been bribed, said Herrmann.
According to the man, the report was false. The 57-year-old petitioned the Bavarian state parliament on this issue and also contacted the Federal Ministry of Justice. According to the minister, the state parliament dealt with the petition in 2024 and declared it closed after receiving information from the responsible state ministries. To this day, however, the man has apparently refused to come to terms with the situation. The authorities are currently ruling out a political motive.
01.10.2025, 20:09
01.10.2025, 20:17
