At least one person died and several were injured
Monday afternoon in Vienna, the Austrian capital, after one person fired at them in what authorities have called a terrorist attack.
Austrian police reported that several people were shot on a busy street in the city center shortly after 8:00 pm local time.
The shots were fired at six different locations
and authorities believe multiple attackers were involved.
One of the suspects was shot dead by law enforcement officers
and the operation to arrest the other assailants is still active.
A Vienna police spokesman did not elaborate on the investigation when contacted by NBC News, Telemundo's sister network.
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"It looks like it was a terrorist attack," Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told the ORF public television channel, adding that the attackers were armed with assault rifles.
"I can confirm that there were several injured and that probably there are also deaths among them."
Authorities reported that there was
a police officer among those who were shot
.
Oskar Deutsch, a leader of the Jewish community in Vienna, said
the shooting happened on the street where the city's main synagogue is located
, but that it was unclear whether the temple had been the target of the attack.
The synagogue had already closed when the shooting began, Deutsch tweeted.
Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister told
The Associated Press
news agency
that he saw at least one person shoot at people who were sitting outside the street bars below his window.
"They were firing at least 100 rounds right outside our building," Hofmeister said.
“All these bars have tables outside.
Tonight is the last night before the quarantine, ”he added.
"As of midnight, all bars and restaurants will be closed in Austria for the next month and it is likely that many people wanted to take advantage to go out."
Officials asked
anyone with photos or videos of the shooting to refrain from posting them on social media
and instead share them directly and exclusively with police to assist in the investigation.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner, chair of the Austrian Social Democratic Party, called the shooting an act of terror.
"I am deeply moved, stunned and appalled by this horrible terrorist attack in the center of Vienna," the president tweeted.
"Please follow the instructions of the police and be careful."
News in development, come back for more updates ...
With information from NBC News and The Associated Press.