An armed and masked man has reportedly been shot dead by German special police after storming a cinema complex in Viernheim, in Germany’s Hesse region.
According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, the man entered the Kinopolis complex at about 3pm, wearing a mask and carrying a gun and a munition belt. The man is reported to have fired into the air with an alarm gun as he entered the cinema.
Various German media are reporting that about 25 people have been injured, with Bild newspaper claiming the injuries are due to the use of CS gas.
German police’s special response unit have closed off an area around the cinema complex.
The motive of the gunman was so far unclear, Frankfurter Allgemeine reported, saying that several scenarios were being considered including a botched robbery, as well as a political or an ideological cause.
