The United States offered its condolences on Thursday in denouncing Wednesday’s attack on a synagogue in Halle, Germany, on Yom Kippur.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the friends and families of the victims killed in the attacks in Halle, Germany, and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” a State Department spokesperson told JNS. “At this time, we are not aware of any U.S. citizen casualties.”
Jewish and Israeli leaders also denounced the shooting.
The assailant, who has been identified as Stephan Balliet, 27, first attempted to break into a synagogue, but was unable to open the massive wooden doors, which were bolted shut.
After failing to gain entry to the synagogue, he shot a woman passerby in her 50s. Minutes later, he attacked a nearby kebab shop with bombs and improvised weapons, killing one.
Balliet livestreamed the attack on Twitch, with the 35-minute video being viewed by 2,200 people in the 30 minutes before it was taken down, according to the video platform.
