Motive of gunman unclear in German shooting

BERLIN

Police in Germany are trying to identify the gunman who was fatally shot after storming a movie theater near Frankfurt.

Police said in a press release late Thursday that the suspect was killed by special forces police after he took several people hostage at the movie theater complex in the small town of Viernheim.

All the hostages were rescued without any injuries.

“The motive of the assailant and the background of the incident remains unclear,” police said, adding that the investigation is ongoing to determine his identity and possible motives.

Earlier, Peter Beuth, interior minister of the west central Hesse region, said the suspect was carrying a long gun when he stormed the theater, and initial reports indicate that witnesses heard at least four shots fired at the scene.

But police have not confirmed whether the suspect had a real gun, while several media reports claimed that he might have been carrying a blank gun when he stormed the building.

Authorities declined to provide specifics about the ongoing investigation.

A police official told German press agency DPA that there has been no indication of a religious-extremist motivation for the attack.