What We Know About The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
What Happened?
On Saturday, October 27th, 2018, 46yo gunman Robert Bowers opened fire at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing 11 and injuring six, including four police officers. No children were harmed. The shooter was taken into custody by police.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf was one of many officials to speak about the shooting.
Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working in concert to investigate this tragedy and to maintain public safety. At the state level, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health are in contact with local officials to assist in any unmet needs. The Pennsylvania state police have been on the scene already and are coordinating with local and federal law enforcement.
PA Governor Tom Wolf
Scott Brady, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of PA also spoke about response to the event.
We are dedicating the entire resources of my office to this federal hate crime investigation and prosecution. We expect to file criminal charges shorty… Justice in this case will be swift, and it will be severe.
Scott Brady, U.S. Attorney
What Was The Motive?
The shooter’s motive is clear from an archive of his Gab.com account. His account includes numerous examples of anti-semitic commentary and propaganda, including his profile bio, which includes the phrase “jews are the children of satan.”
His account includes posts and reposts (the Gab equivalent of retweets) of anti-semitic, anti-Trump (insinuating that President Trump is controlled by Jews), and collectivist commentary, referring to white people as “his people.”
His final post attacks the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), states that he can’t “sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in,” and ends with “Screw your optics, I’m going in.”
