Two people were killed in eastern Germany earlier today when a shooter targeted Jews near a synagogue. The entire incident was reportedly livestreamed on Twitch for over 35 minutes before being shut down, according to NBC News.
The incident took place in Halle, Germany on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. The victims were reportedly killed by a shooter wielding a makeshift gun and a grenade. Local police reported that several shots were fired outside of a synagogue and kebab shop while a grenade was thrown into a Jewish cemetery. One person has reportedly been detained.
The shooter broadcast the carnage on Twitch. Some social media users claim that the livestream was hidden under the category for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. They also reported that the stream was live for over 35 minutes before being taken down. This was enough time for the shooter to spread Holocaust-denying propaganda before beginning his attack.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragedy that took place in Germany today,” a Twitch spokesperson told NBC. The service said it’s aiming to remove all content related to the shooting and that it’ll suspend any accounts that attempt to rebroadcast the content.
This isn’t the first massacre to be streamed or shared on a public venue, though. In March, a New Zealand man killed 50 people at a mosque while streaming the massacre on Facebook Live. Earlier this year, a young girl was murdered by one of her online followers. Photos of her death were spread on Discord, a messaging service for gamers.
No other updates have been provided from local police about injuries or the status of the suspect.
