“I just wanted to kill Jews,” said suspected Pittsburgh synagogue shooter to a SWAT officer. Another mass shooting is added to the list of many as we now grieve the loss of citizens to a deadly hate crime.
A man entered the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday with three handguns and a semi-automatic assault rifle ready to attack innocent lives. 11 lives were lost and 2 people were wounded, along with 4 injured police officers.
After this tragic event, many statements were released by the likes of the mayor of Pittsburgh, President Donald Trump, and many more.
“We know as a society that we are better than this. We know that hatred will never win out. That those that try to divide us because of the way that we pray or where our families are from around the world will lose,” said Bill Peduto, mayor of Pittsburgh, at a press conference.
President Trump also took to twitter to express his disbelief and to send his prayers to those families who were affected by the shooting.
“All of America is in mourning over the mass murder of Jewish Americans at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We pray for those who perished and their loved one, and our hearts go out to the brave police officers who sustained serious injuries,” tweeted President Trump hours after the horrific event.
Suspect Robert Bowers has now been charged with a total of 29 federal counts. Many of the charges the 46 year-old is facing, such as obstructing the exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death, may result in the death penalty.
Many are shocked that this event occurred in such a peaceful town. People from the community are speaking out on their shock from the massacre, which is now the deadliest attack on Jewish Americans in U.S history.
“This should not be happening, period. This should not be happening in a synagogue. It should not be happening in our neighborhood here in Squirrel Hill,” said Leff Finkelstein, President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, to The Washington Post.
These harrowing minutes of terror rings through Squirrel Hill as ceremonies are being held for the victims of this deadly shooting. As the town heals, Bowers awaits his trial and anti-semitism is a battle far from over.
