Gunman, who opened fire at German cinema complex before being shot dead, acted alone

Berlin: A masked man with a gun and ammunition belt, who opened fire at a cinema complex in the western German town of Viernheim, near Frankfurt, on Thursday, was shot dead by the police.

German media reported that the shooter, who had barricaded himself in at the Kinopolis complex, was shot dead after the elite police stormed the complex.

Earlier reports had said that the attacker had been arrested.

The gunman had taken hostages before police shot him dead, a police spokesman told the N-TV television channel.

Authorities said no hostages were hurt in the incident.

Local media had earlier said that between 20 and 50 people could have been wounded.

The attacker acted alone and appeared to have been a "disturbed man", the interior minister of Hesse state, Peter Beuth, told the regional parliament.

Police had not identified the man or established his motive, spokesman Bernd Hochstaedter said, adding that nothing immediately pointed to him having a militant background.

Cinema employee Guri Blakaj told Reuters the gunman, who appeared to be aged between 18 and 25 and was about 1.7 metres tall, entered the cinema at around 3 pm and told workers to get into an office.

He then went into a cinema theatre. Blakaj, who said there were about six workers and 30 cinemagoers in the building, then heard shots fired.

(With agency inputs)