German Chancellor Angela Merkel is being regularly briefed on the shooting attack in Munich and the government has sent members of Germany’s elite anti-terrorism force to the scene.

Merkel’s chief of staff, Peter Altmaier says “all that we know and can say right now is that it was a cruel and inhumane attack.” He told the German public channel ARD that “we can’t rule out that there are terrorist links. We can’t confirm them, but we are investigating along those lines too.”

Altmaier says numerous attacks had been prevented in Germany in recent years “but, and this is important, there can never be absolute security.”

Munich police say eight victims have died in the attack Friday.

(AP)