UPDATED July 22 3:52 p.m. PT

Facebook activated its Safety Check on Bridesmaids A XXX ParodyFriday as an ongoing operation enveloped the streets of central Munich.

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Amid reports of three men with firearms on the loose, the city's underground network was shut down, heavily armed police patrolled the streets and authorities warned people to steer clear of public places.

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Police said eight people were killed and at least 10 people were hospitalized. Munich police spokesman Marcus Martins said a ninth body had been found and police were "intensively examining" whether it might be one of the suspects.

The attack reportedly started at around 6 p.m. local time. Early reports on social media included a video that circulated online of a man shooting at random people outside a McDonalds in the city.

Police asked people to refrain from sharing photos or video from the scene as they attempted to track down the perpetrators.

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Facebook Live video taken from above a shopping mall showed a heavy police presence and an evacuation.

Taxi drivers, meanwhile, were reportedly asked to not pick people up from the Karlsplatz square in the city.

A heavily police presence was seen across the city as authorities hunted for the perpetrators over the course of the evening.

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During Friday night the hashtag #offenetür - or #opendoors - starting showing on Twitter as residents offered their homes to anyone affected.

The attack is the second in Germany in less than a week. On Monday, a 17-year-old Afghan wounded four people in an ax-and-knife attack on a regional train near the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg, and another woman outside as he fled. All survived, although one man from the train remains in life-threatening condition. The attacker was shot and killed by police.

UPDATED

  • July 22 2:17 p.m. PT with death toll

  • July 22 3:53 p.m. PT with injured count and police chief comments

The Associated Press contributed reporting.