Berlin: Police in southwestern Germany shot dead a suspect who entered a movie theatre on Thursday and tried to take hostages.

The man wore a mask and carried what appeared to be a weapon when he entered the cinema in Viernheim, a town near Frankfurt, reports said.

It was not immediately clear whether the weapon was real or not, or if the man carried live ammunition, although early reports suggested he was wearing an ammunition belt.

There also were conflicting reports on whether others had been injured.