According to several sources, there were some spontaneous and arbitrary killings of Jews in Konotop. Two Jews were killed in late October 1941, and they may have been buried at the Jewish cemetery. The Germans and the Ukrainian Auxiliary Police claimed that these two were Communist Party functionaries.
On November 1, a German Military Police unit arrested 153 Jews and took them to the Jewish Cemetery. They had to dig their own grave there, and were then shot dead.
Related Resources
ChGK Soviet Reports
The ChGK report from Konotop
After that, mass arrests of the peaceful population began. At the same time, all the Jewish residents of Konotop – 280 families, up to 1,000 people in total – were arrested. The arrestees were initially put in the prison. Then, when it became full, they were housed at the POW camp. <...> The mass shootings took place <...> at the Jewish cemetery.