(JTA) — The German man suspected of killing two people near a synagogue on Yom Kippur was charged with murder and attempted murder.
Federal prosecutors in Germany said Tuesday that the alleged attacker ,identified as Stephan B. due to the country’s privacy rules, was indicted at the state court in Naumburg on April 16 on two counts of murder and 68 counts of attempted murder, and other charges including bodily harm and incitement, The Associated Press reported.
The gunman tried but failed repeatedly to force his way into the synagogue in Halle, in eastern Germany, with 52 worshippers inside on Oct. 9 during High Holiday services before opening fire near the synagogue and at a kebab shop. The assailant said that Jews are “the root of all problems.”
A manifesto believed to be written by the alleged attacker was posted online before the shooting and distributed by sympathizers on the messaging app Telegram. Written a week before the shooting, the manifesto said his objective was to “kill as many anti-whites as possible, Jews preferred.”