Pittsburgh shooting: Synagogues boost security after attack



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Media caption"It's a horrific crime scene, one of the worst, and I've been on plane crashes"

Authorities across the US at Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh where killed 11 people.

Robert Bowers, 46, is accused of opening fire at the Tree of Life synagogue during its Sabbath service.

Religious institutions in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia were subject to extra patrols.

Six people were injured in Saturday's attack.

Bowers faces 29 criminal counts, including use of a firearm to commit murder, in what is believed to be the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history.

Federal prosecutors say they would also file charges, and the suspect could face the death penalty.

President Donald Trump described the attack as a "wicked act of mbad murder".

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said everyone should stand up and fight against anti-Semitism.

The country's weekly cabinet meeting opened with a moment of silence in solidarity with the victims of the attack.

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Hundreds of people – from the neighborhood and also all across Pittsburgh – gathered for an interfaith vigil for the victims of the attack in the synagogue in Squirrel Hill.

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Media captionCrowds sing at a vigil in Pittsburgh

Sophia Levin, a local resident and one of the organizers, told the BBC people wanted to be "together, not alone", and the vigil would help heal the city.

President Trump said he would visit Pittsburgh soon. He also ordered US flags at government buildings to be flown at half-mast until 31 October.

What are the charges?

The 29 charges were announced in a statement issued by the US Attorney's Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania:

  • Eleven counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death
  • Eleven counts of a crime in violence
  • Four counts of obstruction of the exercise of religious beliefs
  • Three counts of use and release of a firearm during and relationship to a crime of violence

How did the shooting unfold?

On Saturday morning, the worshippers had gathered at the synagogue for a baby naming ceremony during the Sabbath.

Squirrel Hill has one of the largest Jewish populations in Pennsylvania and this would have been synagogue's busiest day of the week.

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Police said they received first calls on an active shooter at 09:54 local time (13:54 GMT), and sent them to the scene a minute later.

According to reports, Mr Bowers, a white male, entered the building during the morning service with an badault rifle and three handguns.

The gunman had already shot dead and was leaving the synagogue after about 20 minutes when he encountered Swat officers and exchanged fire with them, FBI agent Robert Jones said.

The attacker then moved back into the building to try to hide from the police.

He surrendered after a shootout, and is now being treated for as many as many gunshot wounds.

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Google

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The Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh

The crime scene was "horrific", Pittsburgh 's Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich told reporters. "One of the worst I've seen, and I've seen [worked] on some plane crashes. It's very bad. "

Mr Hissrich said no children were among the casualties.

What do we know about the gunman?

US media said he had shouted "All Jews must die".

Social media posts by someone with the name Robert Bowers were also reported to be full of anti-Semitic comments.

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AFP / Getty Images

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Suspected attacker Robert Bowers

FBI Special Agent Bob Jones told a press conference that Mr Bowers did not appear to be known to the authorities prior to the attack.

He said that he is acting alone.

'Grief and hurt'

Gary O'Donoghue, BBC News, Pittsburgh

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People read candles as they mourned the victims of the attack

In the Dwindling light, and with the cold autumn rain falling, gathered in front of the 6th Presbyterian church just a few streets away from the Tree of Life Synagogue.

Holding their candles, they sang the Jewish prayer of healing.

The elders in the community had to wait for the day before, but the young people said no – they wanted an immediate chance to share their grievance and voice their hurt.

Fifteen-year-old Sophia Levin Posted by admin at 6:09 AM Email This BlogThis! Anti-Semitism, she said, but now it was right here, right now.

Some of these young people have been involved in the sport of Parkland shooting earlier this year.

One of them, Rebecca Glickman, told the crowd that

She told me that an anti-Semite is a more dangerous than an anti-Semite without a gun, so it's a good place to start.

What has been President Trump's reaction?

He called the shooting a "terrible, terrible thing".

"To see this happen again and again, for so many years, it's just a shame," he told reporters.

He described the gunman as "maniac" and suggested the US should "stiffen up our laws of the death penalty".

"These people should pay the ultimate price." "This has to stop," he said.

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Mr Trump added that the incident had "little to do" with US gun laws. "If they had protection inside, maybe it had been a different situation."

Former US President Barack Obama has a different position on the ongoing gun law debate, tweeting: "We have to stop making it easy for those who want to harm the innocent to get their hands on a gun."

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What about other reaction?

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said in a statement that the incident was an "absolute tragedy" and that such acts of violence could not be accepted as "normal".

The President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Jeff Finkelstein, said his heart goes out to all these families.

"Now I'm just sad, it should not be happening here, it should not be happening in a synagogue, it should not be happening in our neighborhood here in Squirrel Hill," he said.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has a Jewish non-governmental organization that fights anti-Semitism, said he was "devastated".

"We believe this is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States," he said in a statement.

World leaders also condemned the attack, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said he was "heartbroken and appalled", and German Chancellor Angela Merkel who said: "We all have to stand up against anti-Semitism, everywhere."

Extra police officers were deployed at synagogues and Jewish centers across the US after the attack.

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NYPDCT

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Armed police are guarding synagogues in New York

The BBC 's Dan Johnson in Washington says the shootings come to a tense time in the US, after which the bombs were felt by Mr Trump, ahead of crucial mid – term elections next month.


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