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

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

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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A witness told CNN they saw a man wearing army clothing and a steel helmet with what seemed to be a machine gun, with video apparently of the gunman being posted on social media. Additional information about the shooting and the detained suspect is not yet available, but Halle police say the are currently "investigating" and "stabilizing the situation."

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 Morrow

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.