German local media reports that the masked man who opened fire at a cinema complex in western Germany, injuring about 50 people, has been shot dead.

The cinema where the shooting happened is part of a major shopping centre, home to more than 100 businesses. The complex hosts 20,000 visitors daily, according to its website, CNN reported.

Mass shootings are rare in Germany. But in 2002, a gunman opened fire at a high school in Erfurt, killing 16 people -- 13 staff members, two students and a police officer.

In 2009, a gunman dressed in military gear killed 15 people in a spree that started at a school and spanned two small towns near Stuttgart.