One man was killed and two others left fighting for their lives after a gunman opened fire on Thursday, April 5 on a group of youths outside a hospital in Berlin, police said, according to AFP.

"A young man of 22, of immigrant origin, was killed and two young men were seriously wounded. Their lives are in danger," said a police spokesperson.

The spokesperson could not confirm the nationality of the victim but the attack took place in the Neukoelln district of the German capital, which has a large community of Turkish immigrants and their descendants.

Media reports said all five men in the group were of Turkish origin.

Police said they were now hunting the gunman who fled on foot.

"The attack took place around 1:15 am [23:15 GMT]. We do not know what witnesses saw but we are interviewing them," the spokesperson added.

Deadly street shootings are rare in Germany, which has strict gun laws.