Germany: Five shot dead in flat siege

Published on 05/07/2012 00:00

Five people were shot dead after a gunman facing eviction seized hostages in a flat in the southern German city of Karlsruhe yesterday, police said.

The gunman, who had several hunting rifles, was thought to be among the dead.

“Special forces broke into the flat after smelling smoke and found four dead bodies. Probably one of them is the gunman,” a police spokesman said.

Police later said a fifth body had been found and one of the victims was a woman.

German media reports said the hostages included a bailiff and two other people who had accompanied him to the building, one of whom may have been a locksmith.

“They all died of gunshot wounds,” said the police spokesman. The area was sealed off during the siege.