Germany shooting: Suspect found dead after nine killed in gun attacks at Hanau bars

Two shisha bars targeted by attacker who appears to have driven between locations in a dark vehicle

Eight people have been shot dead and five wounded in multiple gun attacks in Germany, police have said.

Gunshots were fired at two separate shisha bars in the city of Hanau on Wednesday evening, with an attacker believed to have used a car to drive between the two locations, about 2.5km apart.

Witnesses heard eight or nine shots at the Midnight shisha bar in the city centre, local media reported. Police said a dark vehicle was seen leaving the location at about 10pm local time, and a second shooting then followed at the Arena Bar and Cafe in the Kesselstadt district.

In a tweet early on Thursday morning, Hanau police said a man suspected of carrying out the attacks was found dead at his home. It said another body was also found at the address, without providing further details.

And police gave no details of the suspected gunman but said "there are currently no indications of further perpetrators".

The motive for the attacks is not yet known. No information was given about the victims.

Three people are believed to have been killed in the first attack, where images showed a car covered in thermal foil with shattered glass next to it.

Five reportedly lost their lives in the shooting at Arena Bar and Cafe, where Bild reported a perpetrator was said to have opened fire in the smoking area.

Special forces have flooded the two crime scenes, while helicopters search from above and armed officers guard cordoned-off streets.

Police handcuff a man near the scene of a shooting in Hanau

(Boris Roessler/DPA via AP)

Images of a man being handcuffed have also emerged, although it is unclear what link he may have, if any, to the attacks at this stage.

Hanau is in Hesse state in southwestern Germany, 20km (12.4 miles) east of Frankfurt. It has about 100,000 inhabitants. Dpa reported that police from neighbouring Bavaria were deployed to assist in Wednesday night's operation.