'I am German!' 'You're a wa*ker!' Bizarre conversation with Munich gunman

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The Munich gunman who shot 10 people dead in a surprise attack at a shopping mall in Munich engaged in a bizarre conversation with a witness before shooting himself dead.

In a video posted to social media as the events unfolded, where the shooter attacked shoppers near a McDonald's restaurant in the city's northwest, a man yells at the gunman and scolds him for his actions before asking him to put his gun down.

The unidentified man calls the gunman a "wanker" and an "a*sehole".

As the gunman paces on top of the rooftop of the shopping centre where the shooting took place, he yells, "I am German!".

Yet despite the threat, the man replies, "you are a wanker!".

The gunman tells the man to "shut your trap" before more shots are fired.

Image 1 of 11: Police officers point their weapons outside the Olympia mall in Munich. Photo / AP

Police chief Hubertus Andrae said the shooter was an 18-year-old German-Iranian man whose motive was "completely unclear".

The shooter had dual citizenship and "no criminal record".

In a statement posted by Bavarian police, they confirmed "the background and motive of the acts have not been established" despite a witness who was hiding in the bathroom with her child inside the McDonalds telling CNN she heard him shout "Alahu Akbar!".

"I know this because I'm Muslim," she said. " I hear this and I only cry."

During the conversation the gunman shouts insults against the Turkish and foreigners in general and the witness sarcastically responds.

While initial reports believed there may have been up to three gunmen, police believe this may have been a lone wolf-style attack.

Here is the translated conversation.

Witness: 'You f*****g a*sehole you ...'
Shooter: 'Because of you I was bullied for seven years'.
Witness: 'You wa*ker you. You're a w*nker.'
Shooter: ' ... and now I have to buy a gun to shoot you.'
Witness: 'a gun - f**k off your head isn't on right.'
Shooter and Balcony Man shout at each other.
Witness apparently to people filming: 'He's got a gun here the guy has one.'
Shooter: 'F*****g Turks!'
Witness: 'F*****g foreigners.'
Witness to unidentified person: 'Ey! He's got a gun. He has loaded his gun! Get the cops here. He's walking around here the w*nker!'
Shooter: 'I am German.'
Witness: 'You're a wa*ker is what you are.'
Shooter: 'Stop filming!'
Witness: 'A wa*ker is what you are, what the f**k are you doing?'
Shooter: 'Yeah what, I was born here!'
Witness: 'Yeah and what the f**k you think you're doing?'
Shooter: 'I grew up here in the Hartz 4 (unemployment benefits in Germany) area.
Witness and Shooter talk at same time (unintelligible).
Shooter references 'Behandlung' which translates to 'treatment'.
Witness says something like, 'Yeah treatment is something for you.'
Shooter: 'I haven't done anything here for ... Just shut your f*****g face man.'
Witness: 'You c**t you.'
Witness: 'Hey! He's on the upper floor here '
Shooter starts firing. Witness calls him a c**t again.

The suspected attacker's body was found about one kilometre (0.6 miles) from the mall where the shootings took place, German DPA news agency reported.

"We found a man who killed himself. We assume that he was the only shooter," police said on Twitter.

A video posted on social media appeared to show a man dressed in black walking away from a McDonald's restaurant while firing repeatedly on people as they fled screaming.

The spree began before 6pm local time (2am AEST) at the McDonald's and continued on a nearby street before at least one attacker moved into the Olympia centre - which lies not far from the scene of the 1972 Olympics massacre.

Shoppers rushed away from the mall, some carrying children in their arms, as the building was surrounded by armed police and emergency vehicles, while helicopters buzzed overhead.

Europe has been on alert for terrorism in the wake of a string of attacks in neighbouring France and Belgium claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

Where to get help:

• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906 (Palmerston North and Levin)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633
• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (available 24/7)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

- additional reporting from AFP