A gunman has been shot dead after opening fire at a German movie theater near Frankfurt on Thursday, June 23, Reuters reports. The unidentified male reportedly injured between 20 and 50 people and was holding hostages.
According to USA Today, the shooter was wearing a cartridge belt around his shoulder when he entered the complex, which is located in the small western town Viernheim. Dozens of theatergoers screamed and ran when they heard shots fired. (In July 2015, gunman John Russell Houser killed two people at a Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater during a showing of Trainwreck.)
The Germany incident comes less than two weeks after the shooting massacre at the popular gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando on June 12. Gunman Omar Mateen, 29, killed 49 people and injured 53 others at the time, and he was killed by authorities at the scene.
The Orlando shooting sparked thousands of vigils worldwide. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden privately met with families of the survivors and victims’ families days later. POTUS, 54, addressed the incident from the White House briefing room on June 12.
“We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. We stand for the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city,” he said. “As Americans, we are united in grief, in outrage and in resolve to defend our people.”
The fight over gun control has only further ignited since the tragedy. On Wednesday, more than two dozen Democratic lawmakers began a sit-in at the House of Representatives to demand a vote on gun-control legislation. Republicans went on their prescheduled recess and were slammed on social media for going on vacation until July 5. The Democrats held up photos of victims of gun violence, chanted “No bill, no break!” and repeatedly shouted “Shame!” when House Speaker Paul Ryan attempted to reconvene the chamber. He left the podium after just a few minutes. As of Thursday morning, the Democratic lawmakers have been protesting for almost 24 hours.
Story is still breaking. More updates to come about the Germany attack.
Christina Garibaldi and Ian Drew discussed all the latest on this story during Us Weekly’s Facebook Live News Update.
