German Cinema Attacker Killed by Police after Hostage Situation
- By Sydny Shepard
- Jun 24, 2016
German police have shot and killed a masked gunman Thursday, June 27, who had opened fire in a cinema and taken hostages in a small town in western Germany, according to German officials.
Initial reports indicated that 25 people had been injured in the attack at Kinopolis movie theater, possibly by tear gas, but police later said that no one was hurt.
According to German media, just after 2 p.m., the masked man entered the theater. Those inside the building thought the man was just another filmgoer as a lot of viewers enjoy dressing up in themes for certain movies. Soon after he entered, he took his gun out and ordered those around him to lie down on the ground.
The man then barricaded himself and up to 40 more people in the theater before police stormed the building from the back.
Hesse state’s interior minister, Peter Beuth, said special forces “fought and killed” the man, who had been visibly confused and had fired at least four shots inside the movie theater with a rifle.
Authorities did not immediately identify the gunman or suggest a possible motive. They did say, “There is no indication that it could be someone with an Islamist background.”
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.