A man suspected of bursting into a Pittsburgh synagogue during a baby-naming ceremony and gunning down 11 people has been charged with murder, in what is believed to be the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history.
The suspect — identified as 46-year-old Robert Bowers — reportedly yelled “All Jews must die” as he sprayed bullets into the Tree of Life synagogue during Sabbath services on Saturday before exchanging fire with police, in an attack that also wounded six people.
He was taken into custody and transferred to hospital before being charged by US prosecutors over the bloodshed, including with 11 counts of using a firearm to commit murder and 11 counts of obstructing the exercise of religion resulting in death.
Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump denounced it as “a wicked act of mass murder.”
“This evil anti-Semitic attack is an assault on all of us,” Trump told supporters at an election rally in Illinois, where he drew loud cheers as he vowed to enforce the death penalty for such crimes.
“We must stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters to defeat anti-Semitism and vanquish the forces of hate,” he said.
Photo: Reuters
Trump said he would soon travel to Pittsburgh, where hundreds held a candlelit vigil late on Saturday.
The US president ordered all flags at the White House and at public grounds, military posts and naval stations to be flown at half-staff through Wednesday as a mark of “solemn respect” for the victims.
Stephen Weiss, a 60-year-old member of the congregation, described hearing dozens of shots coming from the synagogue’s front lobby.
Photo: AP
“We had services going on in the chapel when we heard a loud noise,” he told the Tribune-Review newspaper. “I recognized it as gunshots.”
Authorities said Bowers was armed with an assault rifle and at least three handguns when he opened fire shortly before 10am.
Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh’s public safety director, described the scene after the attack as “horrific.”
“One of the worst that I’ve seen. I’ve been on plane crashes,” Hissrich said.
No children were among the casualties.
“Hate Has No Home Here,” read a placard in a simple memorial, next to a heart-shaped US flag.
The US is witnessing a sharp spike in anti-Semitic incidents, surging 57 percent from 1,267 in 2016 to 1,986 last year, the Anti-Defamation League said.
It said it believes the Pittsburgh shooting to be the deadliest such attack in US history.
“We are devastated,” said the group’s head Jonathan Greenblatt. “Our hearts break for the victims, their families and the entire Jewish community.”
Bowers, who the FBI said was not previously known to law enforcement, appeared to be the author of a rash of anti-Semitic online posts, notably on the Gab.com Web site, where conspiracy theories are common.
A quote atop Bowers’ page said “jews are the children of satan,” according to screenshots of the now-suspended account released by the SITE Intelligence Group.
Bowers faces a total of 29 charges, which authorities said could carry the death penalty.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) contacted Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan’s Taipei Office, immediately after being informed of the attack and expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences on behalf of the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday.
“In this sad moment, Taiwan stands side by side with the people of the United States, and opposes violence and discrimination in any form,” Wu said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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