Attack at German cinema leaves 25 injured

By Holly Yan CNN

(CNN) -- An attack at a cinema in Viernheim, Germany, has left at least 25 people injured, German public TV reported Thursday.

The suspect entered the cinema, apparently heavily armed, around 3 p.m. local time, authorities said. The attacker has been killed, a state interior minister told a local newspaper, according to Reuters.

It's not clear if any of the injured were shot, or were injured in other ways.

Police said they won't release any more details until the operation is over.

The cinema is part of a major shopping center, home to more than 100 businesses. The complex hosts 20,000 visitors daily, according to its website. Viernheim is in western Germany, near Frankfurt.

Mass shootings are rare in Germany. But in 2002, a gunman opened fire at a high school in Erfurt, killing 16 people -- 13 staff members, two students and a police officer.

In 2009, a gunman dressed in military gear killed 15 people in a rampage that started at a school and spanned two small towns near Stuttgart.

While the motive for Thursday's attack remains unclear, police have repeatedly warned that Germany could be a target by ISIS.

Germany absorbed more than 1 million refugees last year, and there have been concerns about the possibility of ISIS cells in the country.

CNN's Michael Pearson contributed to this report.

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