The Headlines

After shooting in Vienna near area with multiple synagogues, Jews warned to stay home

(JTA) — About 50 shots were fired in an incident on Monday near an area in Vienna with several synagogues, but the attack did not involve the Jewish institutions, the president of the city’s communal organization said.

Oskar Deutch, president of the Jewish Community in Vienna, on Monday told the Kurier news site that none of the city’s Jewish institutions appear to have been hit. But he did not know if they had been a target in the shooting and warned the city’s Jews to stay home. At least two people have died, including one perpetrator, the Vienna police spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

One man was seen lying on the ground at the scene of the incident where police are investigating, Heute reported. Reuters has reported that multiple people are injured. One police officer was shot and is in critical condition.

The Austrian Ministry of the Interior said the incident may have been a terrorist attack. One perpetrator is said to have been killed, others may be on the run, a ministry spokesperson told Heute.

The shooting happened on Schwedenplatz, a square located opposite the Carmelite Quarter, where several synagogues are located.

According to news reports from the Austrian capital, it is unknown how many perpetrators were involved; oe24.at news reported that one perpetrator had blown himself up with an explosives belt. Shots were also fired in the Vienna Stadtpark, a main park in the city.

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