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Germany shooting: Jewish leader criticises police 'negligence' | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Germany's main Jewish community group has accused police of "negligence" after a gunman killed two people while attacking an east German synagogue. | |
The head of the Central Council of Jews said it was "scandalous" that police were not protecting the synagogue in Halle on the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday. | |
The German police union (GdP) said police were too thinly spread for 24-hour protection of places of worship. | The German police union (GdP) said police were too thinly spread for 24-hour protection of places of worship. |
The suspected gunman, named only as Stephan B, was arrested. | |
About 2,200 people watched a live stream he allegedly posted on the internet gaming platform Twitch. | |
"If police had been stationed outside the synagogue, then this man could have been disarmed before he could attack the others," said the council's president Josef Schuster on Deutschlandfunk public radio. | "If police had been stationed outside the synagogue, then this man could have been disarmed before he could attack the others," said the council's president Josef Schuster on Deutschlandfunk public radio. |
In a tweet, Mr Schuster added that it was "a miracle that there were no further casualties" during the incident at the city's synagogue. About 60 worshippers were at a Yom Kippur service at the time. | |
German authorities say the suspect is a German national. | |
The video - which has been removed from Twitch - showed him making anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments to camera before driving to the synagogue and shooting at its door. | |
After failing to get into the synagogue, he shot dead two people: a woman in a nearby street and a man hit by shots fired into a kebab shop about 500 metres (yards) away. Two people were also wounded by bullets and underwent surgery. | |
Reports say the gunman also tried to set off explosives at the synagogue. | |
Witnesses said he was heavily armed, and an online anti-Semitic "manifesto" attributed to him shows guns, apparently home-made. | Witnesses said he was heavily armed, and an online anti-Semitic "manifesto" attributed to him shows guns, apparently home-made. |
Survivors say they hid behind the synagogue's heavy locked doors until police arrived, which took more than 10 minutes. | |
"This case shows us how thinly spread the police cover is," Oliver Malchow, chairman of the GdP, told German broadcaster ZDF. | |
"While we're tackling terrorism we cannot at the same time involve many staff in monitoring far-right extremists," he added. "We didn't underestimate it, but we can't foresee everything and prevent it." | "While we're tackling terrorism we cannot at the same time involve many staff in monitoring far-right extremists," he added. "We didn't underestimate it, but we can't foresee everything and prevent it." |
Authorities have noted a recent rise of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany, a country that is still haunted by the murder of six million Jews under Nazi rule. | |
In Germany, government authorities provide varying degrees of protection to synagogues. But when this is not possible, local Jewish communities sometimes work with law enforcement to provide for their own security. | In Germany, government authorities provide varying degrees of protection to synagogues. But when this is not possible, local Jewish communities sometimes work with law enforcement to provide for their own security. |
Police presence has been increased outside synagogues in several east German cities, including Leipzig and Dresden, according to local media. | Police presence has been increased outside synagogues in several east German cities, including Leipzig and Dresden, according to local media. |
The attack has been condemned by European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. | The attack has been condemned by European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also described the shooting as a "terror attack" and warned anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also described the shooting as a "terror attack" and warned anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe. |