Video captures chilling moment gunman opens fire at Munich shopping mall

Munich, Germany: Hours after a gunman opened fire at a busy shopping centre in Germany's Munich city, a shocking video has emerged online, that captures the chilling moment the lone attacker took his aim at unsuspecting citizens who can be seen running scared for their lives.

In the video footage, the gunman, wearing a cap and sunglasses, can be seen outside a Mc Donalds restaurant. With a gun in his hand, the attacker randomly starts firing at a crowd of people who flee in fear.

Around 18 shots could be heard in the video as terrified victims run for their lives. Witnesses said that the gunman targeted children, killing 9 people and wounding 16 others. Three people have been said to be critical.

I was in the bathroom with my kid, and I only saw him shoot directly into the faces of children," recalled one of the witnesses.

The attacker opened fire at a McDonald's restaurant early Friday evening and continued in the street before entering the Olympia mall.

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.

The attack came just days after a teenage asylum seeker went on a rampage with an axe and a knife on a train on Monday near Wuerzburg, also in Bavaria, injuring five people.