re: Cinema attack in Germany - suspect killed

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Special forces have shot a man dead who stormed a cinema in central Germany, authorities have confirmed. Security officials say terror is an unlikely motive.

Hesse's interior minister Peter Beuth told DPA that the man was shot dead after taking hostages inside a cinema in Viernheim central Germany on Thursday afternoon.

No patrons of the cinema complex were injured and all have been released, Hesse state interior minister Peter Beuth told AFP.

"We have no information that anyone was injured," Beuth said, after confirming that the lone gunman was killed in a struggle with police in the western town of Viernheim.

Beuth told reporters that the man had entered the cinema wearing a mask and carrying a long gun. Four shots were fired, but an alarm was set off from inside the building shortly before 3 pm, alerting police.

The man barricaded himself inside the building with hostages. It is not clear whether the man's weapon was lethal.

Special police forces flew in from Frankfurt on a helicopter, overpowered the man and shot him dead.

Security officials are also saying that they do not currently suspect that there was a terrorist motive.

Photo: DPA.

DPA have information from security sources that the man was psychologically disturbed.

So far the motive of the man is unclear, as is anything to do with his identity.

While police have said that the hostages were released uninjured, Bild reported that around 25 had been impaired by tear gas.

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