At least 2 people killed in a shooting outside a German synagogue

(Image credit: Robert Michael/dpa/AFP/Getty Images)

published 9 October 2019

At least two people are dead after a gunman reportedly opened fire near a synagogue in eastern Germany.

Police in the German city of Halle said Wednesday that "several shots were fired" and "the suspected perpetrators fled in a vehicle," The New York Times reports.

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Police haven't provided information about the target of the attack, The Associated Press notes, but it comes on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Last year, anti-Semitic crime rose nearly 20 percent in Germany, Reuters reports. Germany's federal prosecutor is investigating the shooting, the Times reports, writing this is "a step indicating that the authorities were treating the attack as politically motivated."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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