Robert Bowers: What we know so far about the suspect shot who fired on the Pittsburgh Synagogue

The gunman made anti-Jewish comments after his arrest, a CNN law enforcement official said. The bloodshed took place on the same day as Saturday Sabbath services. At the time of the shooting, three different congregations were organizing services at the Tree of Life.

At a press conference held on Saturday afternoon, officials said the suspect was in Squirrel Hill synagogue for about 20 minutes. After the attack and when leaving the building, Bowers met with a law enforcement officer and the two men exchanged shots, officials said. The suspect went back inside to hide from the SWAT agents. Bowers was in fair condition Saturday night with multiple gunshot wounds, officials said. It is believed that he was shot dead by the police.

He was not known to the forces of order

"At this point, we do not know that Bowers was known to law enforcement before today," said Bob Jones, an FBI special agent in Pittsburgh. Jones said that although the alleged motive of Bowers is unknown, officials felt that he was acting alone.

He has an active license to carry firearms

Bowers has an active license and has made at least six known firearm purchases since 1996, said a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. On September 29, Bowers posted photos of his handgun collection on his Gab.com account, which included several clips and sites. A rifle and three handguns were found at the scene of the attack, the FBI announced.

He accused the Jews of helping migrant caravans

On his Gab.com account, Bowers claimed that Jews were helping members of migrant caravans transport. He shared a video posted by another Gab.com user, allegedly from the HIAS Jewish Refugee Defense Group, on the US-Mexico border. Another article commented by Bowers describes HIAS's global efforts as "a sugar-coated malaise".

Seventeen days before the attack, Bowers published a HIAS webpage listing a number of Shabbats detained on behalf of the refugees, said one official. On this list was a Shabbat address located less than two kilometers from the Synagogue of the Tree of Life. (Mark Hetfield, President and CEO of HIAS, said that Bowers was not known to the group.)

He called those of migrant caravan invaders

According to his messages, Bowers thought that those who were in the caravans of migrants were violent because they were trying to leave very violent countries. And Bowers repeatedly called them "invaders" to his Gab posts. "I noticed a change in people who said" illegal "as" invaders "now," reads a message, six days before the shooting. "I like that."

A police source confirmed to CNN that the investigators thought that the social media publications belonged to Bowers and that the language of his account corresponded to the alleged motivation behind the murder.

His last job was five minutes before police were alerted to the shooting

In this Gab post, Bowers said that he "can not sit and watch my people get slaughtered." "Go see you, I'm going."

His Gab account has frequent antisemitic publications.

He has republished a number of posts on his social media accounts that invite Jews to go out or leave. Gab is a social media platform that promotes freedom of expression and imposes virtually no restrictions on content.

(In a statement published online, Gab says that he "unequivocally disavows and condemns all acts of terrorism and violence … Gab's mission is very simple: to defend freedom of expression and freedom of expression." individual online freedom for all, "Gab said the suspect's profile on his platform, backed up the data, suspended the account and contacted the FBI.)

He notably criticized President Trump

Among the many anti-Semitic messages posted on social media, there were comments suggesting that President Trump was surrounded by too many Jews. "Trump is surrounded by k ****", "things will stay as before," reads Gab's social media platform, which used a pejorative term to describe the Jews. Another ticket, apparently meant to be an insult, said: "Trump is a globalist, not a nationalist," Bowers said two days before the shot. "There is no #MAGA as long as there is a *** infestation.

He said that he did not vote for Trump

About four hours before the shot, Bowers said in a message that he had not voted for Trump.

He was involved in trucking

A law enforcement official familiar with the ongoing investigation told CNN that Bowers had a commercial driver's license and a history associated with the trucking industry.

He received a traffic citation in 2015

A CNN criminal record review revealed a 2015 traffic citation against Bowers for alleged unlabeled conduct.

Charges include hate crimes

Bowers faces 29 counts in all, including 11 counts for using firearms to commit murder and several counts for two hate crimes: hindering the exercise of beliefs resulting in death and impeding the exercise of those beliefs resulting in bodily harm to the public security officer.

"Violent crimes are based on federal civil rights laws prohibiting hate crimes," US Attorney Scott W. Brady and Bob Jones, FBI special agent for the Pittsburgh office, said in a statement.