At least 11 dead in Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting, killer made antisemitic threats
At least 11 people have been reported dead and several injured as a result of a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
The Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a mass shooting took place during Shabbat services on Saturday, October 27. Credit: Google Maps screenshot.
The shooting took place at The Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, a historic Jewish neighbourhood in Pittsburgh, as the synagogue was observing its weekly Shabbat services.
Michael Eisenberg, a past president of the synagogue, said at least three congregations – Tree of Life, New Light and Dor Hadash – would be holding services in the building at the time.
“On a day like today, the door is open,” Eisenberg told a reporter for Pittsburgh’s CBS affiliate KDKA. “It’s a religious service. You could walk in and out. Only on the high holidays is there a police presence at the entrance.”
According to KDKA, the suspect is 46-year-old Robert Bowers, who surrendered to police at the scene of the shooting.
“I will emphasize at this time that there appears to be no active threat to the community. We believe the subject that is responsible for this has been taken into custody,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said.
Police sources told KDKA that when Bowers walked into the synagogue, he purportedly yelled, “All Jews must die.”
The alleged killer apparently had a history of making antisemitic and anti-immigrant threats.
On the alt-right social network site called Gab, which has suspended the killer’s page, he recently wrote: “HIAS likes to bring invaders to kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”
HIAS (founded as Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) is a non-profit organization with Jewish roots that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees.
American Jewish reaction
Despite the incident falling on Shabbat, the American Jewish community was quick to react to the shooting, expressing condolences to the victims and outrage at an attack on a peaceful house of worship.
“The World Jewish Congress is shocked and horrified by the heinous act of terror that unfolded this morning at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and all the people of Pittsburgh,” WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said.
“It is unfathomable that in the United States of America, Jews or anyone else should have to live in fear of being targeted simply because of who they are and where they choose to worship. This was an attack not just on the Jewish community, but on America as a whole. We must condemn this attack at the highest levels and do everything in our power to stop such atrocities from happening again.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement on Twitter, that he was also “devastated” that “Jews targeted on Shabbat morning at the synagogue, a holy place of worship, is unconscionable. Our hearts break for the victims, their families, and the entire Jewish community.”
The American Holocaust Memorial Museum also condemned the shooting, saying that the incident “reminds all Americans of the dangers of unchecked hatred and antisemitism which must be confronted wherever they appear and calls on all Americans to actively work to promote social solidarity and respect the dignity of all individuals.”
Israeli leaders also weighed in.
President Reuven Rivlin said in a statement: “We are thinking of our brothers and sisters, the whole house of Israel, in this time of trouble. We are thinking of the families of those who were murdered and praying for the quick recovery of those who were injured.”
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon also responded, saying: “we will stand together like a rock against hatred and against those who try to harm Jews all over the world.”
Trump says situation ‘far more devastating than originally thought’
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said on Twitter that it was a “serious situation” and that state troopers are assisting local police.
“This is an absolute tragedy,” Wolf tweeted. “These senseless acts of violence are not who we are as Americans. My thoughts right now are focused on the victims, their families and making sure law enforcement has every resource they need.”
President Donald Trump also reacted to the shooting on Twitter, saying the events are “far more devastating than originally thought.”
“Spoke with Mayor and Governor to inform them that the Federal Government has been, and will be, with them all the way. I will speak to the media shortly and make a further statement at Future Farmers of America.”
However, Trump may have also reignited a debate over gun control following the shooting. Asked by a reporter about revisiting gun laws as a result of the latest mass shooting, Trump said: “Well, again this has little to do with it if you take a look, if they had protection inside, the results would have been far better. This is a dispute that will always exist.”
JNS
