What We Know So Far About the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
On Saturday morning, as worshipers were gathering at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh for Shabbat services, a gunman opened fire and killed at least 11 people, the Associated Press reported. The shooter surrendered at the scene to police after a short standoff and was arrested.
“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 during a news conference.
“It’s a very horrific crime scene,” Hissrich added. “It’s one of the worst that I’ve seen, and I’ve been on some plane crashes. It’s very bad.”
The suspect has been identified as Robert Bowers. Law enforcement stated that Bowers shouted “All Jews must die!” while he was shooting, CBS News reported. Bowers’s posts on the social media website Gab, a site popular with neo-Nazis and white supremacists, show numerous anti-Semitic comments, including conspiracy theories and Holocaust denials. One quote read: “jews are the children of satan.”
Link to tweet
Bowers was also critical of President Donald Trump, writing on Gab days before the shooting that, “Trump is a globalist, not a nationalist. There is no #MAGA as long as there is a kike infestation.” Bowers also denied voting for Trump, saying, “For the record, I did not vote for him nor have I owned, worn or even touched a maga hat.”
His account has since been deactivated, Gab announced while disavowing and condemning Bowers’s actions.
Link to tweet
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-748186/