At least 2 dead in shooting attack near German synagogue

Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A gunman shot at least two people dead near a synagogue in eastern Germany on Wednesday, authorities said.

The shooting occurred in the Paulus area of the city of Halle, police said, and initiated a major manhunt for the shooter. Authorities later said they had arrested one suspect, but warned there could be others.

The attack occurred in Halle's Humboldstrasse, which houses a Jewish cemetery and synagogue. The attack coincided with Yom Kippur, a religious festival during which members of the Jewish faith fast and pray.

Witnesses said the gunman wore camouflage and carried multiple weapons.

Hale's main passenger railway system was shut down during the search.

Germany's Bild newspaper reported the attacker used a sub-machine gun and tossed a hand grenade into the cemetery, and other reports said the shooter shot a passerby near a synagogue entrance.

Twitch, Amazon's gaming streaming service, told CNBC the shooter uploaded a 35-minute video of the attack, showing him shooting a woman near a synagogue before driving to a kebab shop where he shot a second person. He posted the video to white supremacist channels on the service.

Twitch has since removed the video.

"We are shocked and saddened by the tragedy that took place in Germany today, and our deepest condolences go out to all those affected," a Twitch spokesperson said. "Twitch has a zero-tolerance policy against hateful conduct, and any act of violence is taken extremely seriously. We are working with urgency to remove this content and permanently suspend any accounts found to be post or reposting content of this abhorrent act."

CNN reported the gunman launched into an anti-Semitic rant during the live streamed video.

Germany's federal prosecutor said the video appeared to be taken from a camera mounted on a helmet the shooter wore.