German court convicts man of murder and attempted murder over 2019 synagogue attack, sentences him to life in prison

BERLIN (AP) — A German court has convicted a right-wing extremist of murder and attempted murder and sentenced him to life in prison for his attack on a synagogue last year on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. He killed two people after he failed to gain entry to the building. The Oct. 9, 2019, attack is considered one of the worst anti-Semitic assaults in Germany’s post-war history. The 28-year-old defendant, Stephan Balliet, posted a screed against Jews before trying to shoot his way into the synagogue in the eastern city of Halle while broadcasting the attack live on a popular gaming site.