Baku, Azerbaijan, June 23
Trend:
A gunman has been killed after taking people hostage at a cinema complex in southwest Germany, Sky News reported.
Initial reports suggested up to 50 people had been hurt, but police say there were no injuries.
An armed man reportedly barricaded himself inside the Kinopolis cinema complex in the town of Viernheim at 3pm and fired shots.
German media said he was masked and was carrying a gun and an ammunition belt.
A regional interior minister has confirmed that the gunman was shot dead.
It later emerged that the weapon may not have been real.
Police said there was an "unclear threat situation" probably involving a weapon at a movie theatre.
The area was cordoned off and officers from the nearby city of Mannheim were sent to support the Viernheim force.
Afterwards police spokesman Bernd Hochstaedter said the drama lasted around three hours.
He added: "We believe that there were no injured people, and that the people who were in the cinema with the perpetrator could be freed uninjured."