A gunman who opened fire in a German movie theater and injured at least 20 people on Thursday has been killed.
The German outlet Focus and several other local sources report that the gunman was killed after engaging in an armed standoff with German special forces. The shooter reportedly took hostages, none of whom were injured, according to Reuters.
Around 3 p.m. local time, the gunman walked into the Kinopolis theater in Viernheim, near Frankfurt, wearing a mask and a gunbelt. He began his siege by shooting an irritant gas into the air.
Attendees fled the theater, with several injured from the gas. The gunman then barricaded himself inside. It is unknown at this time what motivated the attack.
Peter Beuth, interior minister for the German state of Hesse, told Frankfurter Allgemeine that authorities received a call at 2:45 p.m. saying that a man with a weapon entered the cinema and that witnesses claimed the man seemed confused.
Local authorities have yet to return TheWrap’s request for comment.
The shooting comes amid renewed calls for gun control in the U.S. following a mass shooting at nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 49 people dead and more than 50 wounded.
On Monday, Senate Republicans voted down four measures that would have bolstered gun control. In response, Democratic representatives have staged a sit-in on the House floor to demand a vote on similar measures. Speaker Paul Ryan called the sit-in a “publicity stunt.”