An old wooden door is credited with helping to save lives during a shooting at a German synagogue.

According to news reports, a gunman pushed on the doors of a synagogue, fired several shots at a lock on the door, stuck an explosive in a door jam and lit it. But he still couldn't get in.

Unable to gain access, the gunman turned his weapon on the street, where two people were killed.

Despite a shootout with the police, the suspect was initially able to escape, but he was later taken into custody.

In Germany, there have been about 1,500 reported anti-Semitic verbal and violent attacks annually in recent years, but researchers say the actual figures are higher, says the news report. One recent survey found that about 70 percent of anti-Semitic incidents go unreported, according to researchers at the Technical University of Berlin.