Bavarian Beer Festival Reopens Following Deadly Fire Assault and Bomb Threat

A individual from Germany carried out a deadly rampage involving gunfire, explosives, and arson targeting his family before committing suicide on midweek, prompting safety concerns in the Bavarian capital that led to the seven-hour shutdown of the world-famous Oktoberfest.

Officials decided to shut down the festival temporarily after finding a message the individual had left in a local letterbox that included a ambiguous warning aimed at the city's beer festival.

The mayor later gave the all-clear in the midday, and the festivities reopened in the night.

Law enforcement stated that the 57-year-old man had opened fire at his parents using a homemade firearm in an assault that began in the early hours.

He then, he set their house on fire, having earlier booby-trapped the building with explosives.

Police indicated they suspected he had likely killed his elderly father, whose remains was seen but could not be recovered from the still-burning house in the metropolitan leafy northern Lerchenau.

The man also shot his 81-year-old mother, who was subsequently taken to hospital with wounds not considered critical.

His 21-year-old daughter was also hurt but was saved by firefighters from the first floor, having considered to leap to escape the flames.

The man, who has not been identified, fled after a police helicopter sighted him in the yard.

After a short pursuit, he halted in a park by the lake and killed himself.

Bomb squads were called in because the man had rigged the house with explosives – allegedly explosive devices attached to trigger mechanisms – and was also carrying an explosives-laden backpack.

During his rampage, he had also ignited three cars outside the residence, including his own van.

This violent act triggered a large-scale law enforcement response just prior to 5:00 am in the morning and then the removal of nearby residents and a neighborhood educational facility.

About 500 emergency personnel were deployed during the daylong crisis management efforts.

A state official commented there was no indication of a political or religious motive.

"Evidence suggests, as difficult as it is to understand, that this was exclusively a family matter," he added.

City authorities acted on the alert by declaring the temporary closure of the Oktoberfest, regarded as the biggest event of its kind globally.

The festivities, taking place from late September to early October this year, attracted 6.7 million visitors in 2024.

The event experienced a historical incident in 1980 when a far-right group set off a improvised explosive, killing 13 people and wounding over two hundred others.