Gunman takes hostages in Germany

A gunman took several people hostage, including a bailiff, during a home eviction in southwestern Germany Wednesday and one person may have been killed, police said. A police spokesman said they presumed people had been wounded in the incident in the city of Karlsruhe and that possibly one person had been killed. Shots were heard at the scene where a heavily armed man barricaded himself and several people into an apartment building early on Wednesday, police said. Rolling news channel NTV reported he had at least one hand grenade. The exact number of hostages is not known nor the identity of the hostage-taker but they said he is the occupant of the home which was due to be cleared on Wednesday. "The situation is unclear," a police spokesman said. "We don't know what is happening in the flat." Police said they had not managed to make contact with the hostage-taker. Residents of the building raised the alarm with police at around 9:00 am (0700 GMT) when shots were heard from the home of the hostage-taker. Special police forces are at the scene which has been sealed off.