Two die in German court shooting

A police spokesman said there had been no warning of the shooting

A man has opened fire in a court-house in southern Germany, killing a woman before shooting himself dead.

At least two others were seriously injured in the attack in Landshut, 73km (45 miles) north-east of Munich.

A court spokeswoman, Elisabeth Waitzinger, said the 60-year-old gunman and his victim had been related.

The shooting comes less than a month after a teenager went on a gun rampage in and around his former school in the town of Winnenden, killing 15 people.

The incident sparked a heated debate over Germany's gun laws.

'Out of the blue'

The shooting, in the administrative court in the centre of Landshut, took place at about 1015 (0815 GMT) while an inheritance case was being heard.

Ms Waitzinger said there was no information on the identity of the gunman, other than that he was a 60-year-old from the nearby town of Dingolfing.

She said he was related to the woman who was killed. She is reported to have been his sister.

Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer said he understood that at least two other people were in a critical condition.

When asked how he was able to bring a weapon into the court, Ms Waitzinger said there were no checks on people attending civil cases.

Earlier, police spokesman Leonard Mayer said there had been no warning of the shooting, which he said had come "out of the blue".

Dozens of people inside the building have now been evacuated and the area has been sealed off by the police.