Police shot 14-year-old carrying realistic Softair gun in Munich
Wednesday 19th August 2026 on 14:01 in
Bavaria
Police in Munich shot a 14-year-old student who was carrying a Softair gun that closely resembled a real Beretta pistol, BR reported. The teenager was injured in the upper body and is in stable condition.
The incident happened on Tuesday in the Schwabing district. Police initially said they had shot a man believed to be around 20 years old and carrying a weapon. They later identified him in hospital as a Turkish national from the Miesbach district.
Police describe confrontation
At about 5:15 p.m., a passer-by called the police emergency number to report a suspicious person openly handling a firearm near Hohenzollernplatz underground station. The person then boarded a scheduled bus towards Kurfürstenplatz.
Two plain-clothes officers later spotted the suspect near the intersection of Herzogstrasse and Belgradstrasse, accompanied by another person. Police said he pulled a weapon-like object from his trousers and moved as if he were loading a firearm.
According to police, the officers ordered him to drop the weapon. The suspect allegedly turned towards them with the object raised. One officer then fired a shot, hitting him in the upper body. The officers provided first aid until an emergency doctor arrived, and the teenager was taken to hospital.
Police said the object was a Softair gun that looked deceptively similar to a genuine Beretta 92 pistol chambered for 9mm ammunition.
Investigation under way
The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office is examining the legality of the police use of the firearm, as it does in such cases. A police spokesperson said the officer who fired the shot was not being investigated. The teenager, who was already known to police, is being investigated on suspicion of threatening the officers.
According to the report, the teenager arrived in Germany with his parents in 2023 and applied for asylum. The application was rejected and deportation was threatened.
The operation led to extensive security measures and road closures in the district. The closures were lifted at about 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday.