Gunman takes children hostage in Luxembourg

May 31, 2000
Web posted at: 1:52 p.m. EDT (1752 GMT)

WASSERBILLIG, Luxembourg (CNN) -- A man armed with a grenade, knife and handgun took 20 young children and two teachers hostage Wednesday at a school in a Luxembourg village near the German border, police say.

Eight children and possibly one of the teachers were later released, police said. Fifty armed officers arrived on the scene, and some telephone contact had been made with the man.

Security forces have cordoned off the building in the village, near the German border. The man entered the building around 1330 GMT (9:30 a.m EDT).

The identity and motive of the gunman were not immediately clear, police spokesman Victor Schlentz told Reuters.

Correspondent Patricia Kelly and Reuters contributed to this report.