close

       Video

       Police: Deadly shooting near German synagogue on Yom Kipper A shooting near German synagogue leaves 2 people injured and dead on Yom Kipper

       One person was arrested in eastern Germany Wednesday after at least two people were shot and killed near a synagogue, police said.

       Several shots were fired in the city of Halle, near Leipzig, and the suspects fled the scene. Investigators said one suspect was arrested but warned to "still stay alert."

       YAEL ECKSTEIN: CHRISTIANS AND JEWS CAN CELEBRATE SHARED VIRTUES ON JEWISH HIGH HOLY DAYS

       One of the suspects was allegedly armed with "multiple weapons" and wearing a military-style uniform, DW reported.

       At least two people were killed in a shooting in eastern Germany on Wednesday, police said. (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP)

       Authorities said shots were also fired Wednesday in Landsberg, roughly 15 miles away from Halle. It was not immediately clear whether the two shootings were connected.

       UN RELEASES FIRST-EVER REPORT ON ANTI-SEMITISM HIGHLIGHTING UPTICK

       The shooting comes as the world celebrates Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in which worshippers atone for their sins.

       The head of Halle's Jewish community, Max Privorotzki, told news magazine Der Spiegel there were 70 or 80 people inside the synagogue and security outside when the shooting occurred on Wednesday.

       A Jewish leader said one assailant had tried to force his way into the synagogue but did not get in.

       Synagogues are often protected by police in Germany, and police in two other eastern cities — Dresden and Leipzig — stepped up security at synagogues there after the shooting in Halle.

       Police officers pictured here crossing a wall at a crime scene in Halle, Germany on Wednesday. (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP)

       Information about a motive or possible targets was not immediately clear. However, federal prosecutors — who handle cases involving suspected terrorism or national security — took over the investigation, officials said.

       CLICK TO VISIT THE ALL-NEW FOXBUSINESS.COM

       A spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said government officials had no information on the attack but described the situation as "terrible news from Halle."

       The Associated Press contributed to this report.