Germany: Shootings at two coffee shops leave eight dead

Two shootings in Germany have killed at least eight people and injured five others.

The shootings late Wednesday targeted two coffee shops in Hanau, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Frankfurt, according to local media, where police launched a huge manhunt for the gunmen.

According to Press TV, the first attack occurred at the "Midnight" coffee shop in the center of the city around 10 pm local time (21:00 GMT), police and reports said. Witnesses reported hearing a dozen shots, local media said.

The attacker, or attackers, then fled the scene by car, according to police. There was then a second shooting at the Arena coffee shop.

According to local media reports, three people were killed in front of the first shop and five in front of the second.

At least five people were also seriously wounded, reports said.

An AFP journalist at the scene saw around 30 police cars leaving Hanau police station and, according to witnesses, police officers with machine guns were deployed in the city.

"The police can now confirm that eight people were fatally wounded. The search for suspects is going at top speed. There is no clear information yet as to a motive," authorities said.

Germany has been targeted in recent years by several extremist attacks, one of which killed 12 people in the heart of Berlin in December 2016.

ME