In another shocking incident, an 18-year-old German-Iranian lone wolf gunman opened fire near a busy shopping mall in Munich on Friday evening, killing at least nine people.
Initially, the police suspected that at least three gunmen were involved in the firings at three different locations. They declared a state of emergency and suspended train, metro and bus services. Within minutes, the entire city was on a lockdown.
People were advised to stay indoors – and away from the locations under attack. As the crisis unfolded, a Twitter hashtag #offenetuer (or #OpenDoor in German) started doing the rounds. People had basically opened their homes for shelter and food to those who couldn’t return home due to the suspension of the city’s mass transit system.
The hashtag was reminiscent of the terror attack in Paris in November last year, when #porteouverte (open door in French) went viral.
The hashtag is symbolic of just one idea: The Germans and the French alike are not going to succumb to the fear the militants are trying to create. They are going to continue trusting members of their community, irrespective of whether they know them personally or not.
In the wake of the attack, Facebook activated its safety check feature too.
The building of a community conscience is imperative, where individuals are checking up on their acquaintances, helping their neighbours, and opening up their resources to all. It provides everyone with a sense of solidarity, as they feel unified in their fight against terror.
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