Pittsburgh synagogue massacre leaves 11 dead, 6 wounded

 A gunman who’s believed to have spewed anti-Semitic slurs and rhetoric on social media barged into a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday and opened fire, killing 11 people in one of deliest attacks on Jews in U.S. history.

20-minute attack at Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill neighbourhood left six ors wounded, including four police officers who dashed to scene, authorities said.

suspect, Robert Bowers, tred gunfire with police and was shot several times. Bowers, who was in fair condition at a hospital, was charged late Saturday with 29 federal counts, including hate crimes and weapons offences. It wasn’t immediately kwn if Bowers has an attorney to speak on his behalf.

“Please kw that justice in this case will be swift and it will be severe,” Scott Bry, chief federal prosecutor in western Pennsylvania, said at a news conference, characterizing slaughter as a “terrible and unspeakable act of hate.”

mass shooting came amid a rash of high-profile attacks in an increasingly divided country, one day after a Florida man was arrested and charged with mailing a series of pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and little more than a week before midterm elections.

killings also immediately reignited longstanding national debate about guns: President Donald Trump said outcome might have been different if synagogue “h some kind of protection” from an armed guard, while Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf ted that once again “dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm’s way.”

Trump said he planned to travel to Pittsburgh, but offered details.

Authorities say that just before 10 a.m., Bower entered large synagogue with an assault-style rifle and three handguns. Three separate congregations were conducting Sabbath services in different areas of large building, according to Michael Eisenberg, immediate past president of Tree of Life. Pennsylvania attorney general’s office said it was told by victims that a brit milah — a ritual circumcision ceremony at which a baby boy also receives his Hebrew name — was also taking place, though law enforcement officials later said children were among de or wounded.

“It is a very horrific crime scene,” said a visibly moved Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh public safety director. “It’s one of worst that I’ve seen.”

survivors included Daniel Leger, 70, a nurse and hospital chaplain who was in critical condition after undergoing surgery, his bror, Paul Leger, told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Daniel Leger was scheduled to le a service Saturday morning, he said.

Bob Jones, he of FBI’s Pittsburgh office, said that worshippers “were brutally murdered by a gunman targeting m simply because of ir faith,” though he cautioned shooter’s full motive was t yet kwn. In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Justice Department would file hate crime and or charges against Bowers.

Bowers, who h apparent criminal record, expressed virulently anti-Semitic views on a social media site called Gab, according to an Associated Press review of an archived version of posts me under his name. cover photo for his account featured a neo-Nazi symbol, and his recent posts included a photo of a fiery oven like those used in Nazi concentration camps used to cremate Jews during World War II.

Or posts referenced false conspiracy ories suggesting Holocaust — in which an estimated 6 million Jews perished — was a hoax. He wrote of a Jewish “infestation,” using a slur for Jews.

Gab confirmed Bowers h a profile on its website, which is popular with far-right extremists.

Before shooting, poster believed to be Bowers also wrote that “HIAS likes to bring invers in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

HIAS is a nprofit group that helps refugees around world find safety and freedom. organization says it is guided by Jewish values and history.

Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive officer of Anti-Defamation League, said group believes Saturday’s attack was deliest on Jewish community in U.S. history.

“Our hearts break for families of those killed and injured at Tree of Life Synagogue, and for entire Jewish community of Pittsburgh,” Greenblatt said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “heartbroken and appalled” by attack.

“ entire people of Israel grieve with families of de,” Netanyahu said. “We stand toger with Jewish community of Pittsburgh. We stand toger with American people in face of this horrendous anti-Semitic brutality. And we all pray for speedy recovery of wounded.”

Thousands of people, some holding candles, gared for a vigil in Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Saturday night in hor of victims, whose names were t immediately released. A chant of “vote, vote, vote” broke out during emotional garing. Some attendees blamed shooting on nation’s political climate, and said y took little solace in planned visit by Trump.

At a political rally in Murphysboro, Illiis, Trump said “ evil anti-Semitic attack is an assault on all of us.”

president — who, at times, has been accused by critics of failing to equately condemn hate, such as when he blamed “both sides” for violence at a Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacist rally in 2017 — said that anti-Semitism must be “confronted and condemned everywhere it rears it very ugly he.” He called for imposition of death penalty for “crimes like this.”

synagogue is located in tree-lined residential neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, about 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh and hub of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. face of fortress-like concrete building is punctuated by rows of swirling, modernistic stained-glass windows illustrating story of creation, acceptance of God’s law, “life cycle” and “how human-beings should care for earth and one ar,” according to its website. Among its treasures is a “Holocaust Torah,” rescued from Czechoslovakia.

Its sanctuary can hold up to 1,250 people.

Eisenberg, former synagogue president, said officials at Tree of Life h t gotten any threats that he knew of before shooting. But he said security was a concern, and synagogue h started working to improve it.

Chuck Diamond, a former rabbi at synagogue who retired more than a year ago, said building is locked during week, and is outfitted with security cameras. “But on Sabbath it’s an open door,” he said.

“You kw, you’re always worried that something would happen,” said Myron Snider, he of cemetery committee for New Light Congregation, which meets at Tree of Life. Snider just got out of hospital on Thursday and missed Saturday’s service.

“But you never dream that it would happen like this,” Snider ded. “Just never ever dream that it would happen like this.”