Police commandos stormed an apartment in southern Germany on Wednesday after a hostage standoff and found five bodies, including that of the gunman, a spokesman said.
"Just a few minutes ago the Baden-Wuerttemberg special forces entered the apartment after smelling smoke and found several dead bodies. The investigation as to what exactly happened is ongoing," Frtiz Bachholz, the Karlsruhe Police spokesman said.
The hostage stand off began shortly after 9am when bailiffs went to evict the occupants of an apartment. The suspect opened fire when the bailiff and others went to his apartment to eject him for failing to pay his rent, and then multiple shots were fired.
The bodies found were of the suspect, as well as those of the court bailiff who had sought to evict the man, the locksmith who had accompanied him, the woman who was supposed to take over the apartment and another person, reports said.
