11 Dead, Several Others Shot At Pittsburgh Synagogue In USA

Eleven people have been killed and a number of others injured after a shooting at The Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill on Saturday.

Police sources tell KDKA’s Andy Sheehan the gunman, 48-year-old Robert Bowers, walked into the building and yelled, “All Jews must die.” Sheehan’s sources also confirmed that eleven people have died. No children are among the deceased.

Bowers was reportedly armed with an AR-15 and three handguns.

The initial call to 911 was made around 9:54 a.m. and officers were dispatched to the scene within a minute.

When officers arrived, the gunman reportedly shot at them, forcing officers to use their vehicles as a shield. Bowers was said to be exiting the building when he encountered a uniformed officer and went back inside. Eventually, he was pinned down on the third floor and apprehended.

The SWAT team had been talking with the suspect, and he was crawling and injured. It is unclear the extent of his injuries. He was taken into custody about 20 minutes after the initial call to 911.

It is believed that Bowers acted alone.

“I will emphasize at this time that there appears to be no active threat to the community. We believe the subject that is responsible for this has been taken into custody,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said.

Hissrich said at least six other people were injured, including four police officers. Two of the officers were among the first responders to the scene. The other two were members of the SWAT team. All were last listed in stable condition.

One of the injured victims was a 61-year-old woman, while the other was a 70-year-old man. The man suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and was last listed in critical condition.

A total of four patients were taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. As of 1:30 p.m., three were in surgery and one is stable and awaiting surgery.

One other patient was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital and was undergoing surgery as of 1:30 p.m.

Another person was taken to Allegheny General Hospital. According to multiple sources, that person is the suspect in the shooting. The suspect was reportedly shot multiple times and was last listed in fair condition.

The shooting happened during weekly Shabbat services at the synagogue. The building was full of people for a Saturday service and police said they received several calls from people barricaded inside.

A heavy police presence has blocked off a section of McAnulty Road in Baldwin Borough. It is believed Bowers lived in an apartment in that area police are in the process of obtaining a search warrant for the residence.

Police are also investigating if Bowers announced his intentions on social media this morning. That account has since been taken down.

One posting stated, “HIAS [Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society] likes to bring invaders in that kill out people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

Hissrich said this shooting is being investigated as a hate crime and as such, the FBI is leading the investigation.

“At this time this is being considered a federal violation and the primary investigative agency will be the Federal Bureau of investigation,” Hissrich said.

“As the mayor mentioned, we’ve had a tragedy here today. The work of the first reponders is what probably prevented it from becoming much more of a tragedy for what it is,” Hissrich said.

Source: pittsburgh.cbslocal.com