Man kills at in-laws’ nightclub

GERMANY: One person was killed and three seriously injured when a gunman burst in to a packed nightclub in southern Germany and opened fire with an assault rifle in the early hours of Sunday (local time).

The gunman, who was later killed in a shootout with police, was originally from Iraq but authorities said it was not a terror attack.

The 34-year-old, who has not been named, had got into an argument with several staff at the nightclub and returned armed with an M16 rifle to take revenge, prosecutors said. The victim is believed to have been working as a doorman.

The gunman had a history of violence and had previous convictions for assault and drug crimes. The club belonged to his father-in-law.

Witnesses described him bursting into the Grey nightclub in the city of Constance, on Lake Constance close to the Swiss border, at 4.30am local time and opening fire ‘‘indiscriminately’’.

‘‘The place was packed, I guess there were several hundred people there,’’ one witness said.

‘‘Clubgoers saved themselves by escaping outside or hiding,’’ a police spokesman said.

The attack lasted minutes.

Police special forces rushed to the scene and exchanged fire with the gunman as he attempted to leave the club. He was hit by a police bullet and later died of his injuries in hospital.

One police officer was shot but was saved from serious injury by a protective vest.

‘‘The perpetrator is believed to have had a dispute with employees at the nightclub. He then went home, collected an M16 assault rifle and shot the doorman,’’ a spokesman for prosecutors said.

– Telegraph Group several