A man facing eviction from a flat in the southern German city of Karlsruhe has shot dead four hostages and killed himself after a four-hour siege, media reports citing local officials said Wednesday.
The man, who was facing eviction from the flat for not paying the rent, had earlier barricaded himself in the flat with the hostages, triggering a stand-off with the police.
Police found the five bodies after they stormed the apartment, following a four-hour-long stand-off with the gunman. The 53-year-old gunman is believed to have shot his hostages before turning his gun on himself.
Apart from the gunman, those killed in the incident included a bailiff, a locksmith, the flat-owner and a prospective tenant. All five are said to have died of gunshot wounds.
Local reports indicated that the police has recovered a shotgun, a rifle, two pistols, a dummy hand grenade and a lot of ammunition from the apartment. They said the weapons were not registered with the relevant authorities.
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com