Shooting at German cinema leaves 25 wounded

[MissB]

Source: CNN

(CNN)A mass shooting at a cinema in Viernheim, Germany, has left 25 people wounded, German public TV reported Thursday.

Viernheim is in western Germany, near Frankfurt.
Developing story - more to come

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/23/europe/germany-mass-shooting/index.html?adkey=bn

---

Edited to add: nothing more at the link at this time

[FLPanhandle]

1. Another terrorist attack...sigh.

This is getting to be too common.

[philosslayer]

2. You don't know the motive behind this.

And to speculate is irresponsible.

[LanternWaste]

12. Benign speculation contains no consequence, hence it not irresponsible.

Benign speculation contains no consequence, hence it not irresponsible.

[uppityperson]

25. What is the difference between benign speculation and spreading rumors? Serious question

Speculation is not irresponsible, but spreading rumors is.

[BlueEye]

16. I think it would be irresponsible for public officials or persons in a position of public confidence

(i.e. journalists) to engage in speculation. But some anonymous people on an Internet forum with zero influence* on the public's understanding of the event can engage in consequence-free speculation.

Frankly, terrorism would strike me as the most likely explanation. As we have all noted on here, Europe has restrictive gun laws that make it hard (not impossible though) for maniacs to obtain guns. Unfortunately, there is a network of extremists engaged in illicit gun distribution, which enabled the Paris attacks and potentially this.

* I know of an aviation forum that CNN has repeatedly "cited" during plane crash investigations as many of the posters on there work in the aerospace industry. Mindful of that, the forum's mods have created rules on what speculation is permissible in the wake of aviation tragedies. But I doubt media sources are relying on DU for insight after mass shootings.

EDIT: Thankfully it was a wacko with a fake gun. Also, thankfully my above speculation (which was wrong) is harmless because nobody can reasonably rely on it

[TipTok]

32. Good odds though...

[GummyBearz]

3. My first thought

But lets not jump to conclusions like usual around here... it is just reported. No idea who did it or why it was done

[FLPanhandle]

7. True.

It was just my first thought too.

[harun]

11. Pie meet Face

[JackRiddler]

17. Another quick resort to Islamophobic reaction.

It's 12:17 pm EDT and no identification or motive has been given for the shooter. Do you know who he is? What's your criterion for "terrorist"? Shame on you.

[FLPanhandle]

19. No one said anything about Islamic motivation

All kinds of groups commit terrorism.

Shame on you.

[840high]

22. yep

[reorg]

24. but it didn't take you long

to assume "terrorism".

You can take a deep breath and apologise now.

[JackRiddler]

26. You made use of this codeword.

We already see how it is employed on a daily basis. It is a scare word and anyone who uses it reflexively like this must be scared or wanting to scare. Muslims even if alone are always called terrorists. White guys even with political backgrounds are always called crazy. You know this so it's on you for making it the first comment in this thread without any background whatsoever.

Answer the question: As of 13:45 EDT, do you know an identity for the shooter.

[anigbrowl]

29. You are the one who jumped to conclusions

Own your words instead of trying to shame others for your lack of self-control.

[IronLionZion]

27. Would it still be terrorism if there was no political motive

just evil hatred like many of the American mass shootings?

[jberryhill]

30. "German security agents said the attack was not likely tied to terrorism"

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/50-injured-germany-movie-theater-shooting-article-1.2685046

[BlueNoMatterWho]

4. BREAKING: Up To 50 People Injured In German Cinema Shooting; Possible Hostage Situation

[brooklynite]

5. ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG is reporting hostages taken

http://www.allgemeine-zeitung.de/vermischtes/vermischtes/unklare-bedrohungslage-im-kinopolis-in-viernheim-mann-mit-schusswaffen-unterwegs_17018188.htm

[BeyondGeography]

6. My German wife tells me German website is saying air pistol/fake gun

all injuries due to tear gas.

Shooter is dead.

[Glimmer of Hope]

9. Thank goodness it wasn't a real gun. :(

[brooklynite]

8. UPDATE: German Interior Minister reports gunman was shot and killed

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Deutsche Welle says shooter is dead

Reuters reported that the gunman has been shot dead, quoting local newspapers and the interior ministry of Hesse.

The motives of the shooter are still not known. According to German media, several people have been injured.

Local police have announced a press embargo.

The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung tweeted that the armed man has been arrested:

http://www.dw.com/en/shooting-in-german-cinema-several-injured/a-19350871

The Local:

Special forces have shot a gunman dead who stormed a cinema in central Germany, leaving dozens wounded, authorities have confirmed to local media.

The armed man entered a cinema in Viernheim in central Germany on Thursday afternoon, Hesse and started shooting.

Hessischer Rundfunk is reporting on information from the interior ministry in Hesse that the gunman is now dead. Bild reports that police fatally wounded him through gunfire.
...
Public broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk and Bild daily said that at least 25 people were hurt through teargas.
http://www.thelocal.de/20160623/police

[tabasco]

13. German police don't like to let things drag out.

I'm not surprised it's over so quickly.

Special police kill gunman at cinema south of Frankfurt

http://www.thelocal.de/20160623/police

[brooklynite]

14. UPDATE: Injuries NOT related to gunfire...

...per BILD, injuries due to release of tear gas.

[sufrommich]

15. No reports of bullet wounds among the injured,most

were teargas injuries.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/746000815106691072

[Eugene]

18. Gunman Dead at German Movie Theater; No One Injured by Suspect, Police Say

Source: ABC News

Gunman Dead at German Movie Theater; No One Injured by Suspect, Police Say

By EMILY SHAPIRO Jun 23, 2016, 11:55 AM ET

A gunman is dead after an incident at a German movie theater in the town of Viernheim, a spokesman for German police in Hesse told ABC News. No one was injured by the gunman, the spokesman said.

German media have reported, however, that some individuals were injured in the incident, possibly from teargas police deployed when entering the theater.

The incident started after 3 p.m. local time when a man armed with a gun entered the theater in Viernheim, about 45 miles south of Frankfurt, according to German media reports.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/german-police-respond-reports-shooting-movie-theater/story?id=40074018

[oneshooter]

21. Since it was a fake gun why did they have to kill him?

Could they have just wounded him? Shot the gun out of his hand?
Then he would have surrendered.

[Bradical79]

28. What are you implying with your sarcasm? -nt

[TipTok]

33. The default reaction for many...

... in these sort of scenarios is to immediatly go to "Why couldn't they shoot him in the foot/leg/hand/gun out of his hand?"

Stupid as that question might be...

[oneshooter]

36. I just thought it would be fun

to sound as ignorant of the real world as some of the other posters I have read.







It isn't.

[reorg]

23. Wow, thanks for finding that

No terrorist, not a real gun, no one injured except those who were hurt (and killed) by the police.

We'll see if CNN will retract their lies and apologise.

Not to mention those who were so eager to cry TERROR, TERROR (including the German special forces quickly sent there in a helicopter so they could take the rare opportunity to kill some poor guy).

[IronLionZion]

20. This is why we should deport Donald Drumpf

back to his grandparents' homeland until we can figure this out. Anyone of Germanic heritage shall remain suspects who deserve the worst forms of discrimination and lose their jobs and civil rights until I feel comfortable with politically correct diversity.



Jury: please note the sarcasm tag I am mocking Trump's race-baiting policies.

[romanic]

31. I like how most are more concered about saying the word "terrorist" vs the actual incident.

-_-

[jberryhill]

35. What was the actual incident?

Apparently, all of the injuries were caused by teargas used by police, so there does not appear to have been much of an incident going on.


http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-germany-cinema-shooting-20160623-snap-story.html

No one besides the gunman was hurt during the two-hour standoff, police said. He only fired blanks from the rifle, according to local news reports.

[...]

Already tough gun control laws in Germany were tightened after two school shootings in 2002 in Erfurt and 2009 in Winnenden left 31 victims dead. The new regulations helped cut the number of firearm killings in half, to about 50 a year, according to experts.

----

Okay, so on a planet of 7 billion people today, one of them walked into a movie theater, scared a lot of people by firing blanks, and was dispatched upon arrival of the police.

What about that would you like to discuss?

[reorg]

34. Only a few minutes away from the Coleman Barracks

Rather than being "near Frankfurt", Viernheim is for all practical purposes a suburb of Mannheim, where the Coleman Barracks are located, about 2 miles away from that cinema:

Google Maps: Coleman Barracks left, Viernheim right

People were tortured there not that long ago, and plans had already been made to close it down. However:

"In February 2015, USAREUR announced Coleman Barracks will be retained temporarily as an interim site to store and maintain pre-positioned vehicles and equipment that will be used to support U.S. Army Regionally Aligned Forces ..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman_Army_Airfield

By vehicles they mean "hundreds of tanks" being stored there for occasional trainings to threaten Russia