Gunman who opened fire in German cinema complex shot dead

An armed man has been killed after he opened fire in a cinema complex in western Germany on Thursday, according to German media. Up to 50 people were wounded in the shooting.

The German Interior Ministry confirmed that the man was shot in the town of Viernheim, local media said.

There were also unconfirmed reports that 40 people were being held hostage by the gunman.

The shooter, wearing a mask and a cartridge belt around his shoulder, entered the Kinopolis in Viernheim around 3 p.m.

The shooter barricaded himself inside the premises.

Officers, including some from the special task force, arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area, media reports said.

A spokesman for the local Darmstadt police spoke only of a "vague threats," Tagesschau daily reported.