This just in from multiple sources, including Fox News:
A masked gunman who opened fire and took hostages inside a movie theater in western Germany Thursday was killed and multiple people were being treated for injuries in connection with the attack, German authorities confirmed.
Authorities said the unidentified man fired shots inside the theater, took hostages and barricaded himself inside the at the Kinopolis complex in Viernheim, near Frankfurt. Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency reported that Interior Minister Peter Beuth told local lawmakers the man was shot dead.
It was unclear if anyone was shot by the gunman. German media said dozens were treated for exposure to tear gas, but it was unclear if the tear gas was released by the suspect or by police.
No motive for the attack has been ascertained. The shooter has been identified as Samuel Hydenburger.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
*UPDATE* According to German television news service Tagesschau, there was no apparent terrorist motive for today’s shootings in a movie complex in the town of Viernheim.
CNN adds that the movie theater is located in a major shopping center that receives 20,000 visitors daily, according to its website.
Earlier reports identifying the gunman as Samuel Hydenburger have been refuted.