German police lost Halle gunman for an hour, lawmakers say German lawmakers say police lost track for an hour of the suspected far-right extremist who shot dead two people in a botched attack on a synagogue last week

BERLIN -- German lawmakers say police lost track for an hour of a suspected far-right extremist who killed two people after a failed attack on a synagogue.

Germany's dpa news agency quoted regional lawmakers in Saxony-Anhalt state as saying on Monday that it was two officers in a small town who eventually arrested the gunman, not the SWAT teams that were hunting him.

German security services have come under scrutiny over their response to the shooting Wednesday in the eastern city of Halle after Jewish community leaders said requests for police protection were ignored.

The 27-year-old German suspect, identified by prosecutors as Stephan B., was arrested in Zeitz, located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Halle.

Authorities say he has admitted carrying out the shooting and had anti-Semitic and right-wing extremist motives.