Eleven people were killed and a number of others injured Saturday morning in a shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.
The suspect, 48-year-old Robert Bowers, burst into the synagogue during a service and began shooting indiscriminately while shouting “All Jews must die.” Bowers, who was armed with an AR-15 and two pistols, later surrendered after barricading himself in a room in the synagogue, according to a local CBS affiliate.
Three of the responding officers were shot but their injuries are not life threatenin
Michael Eisenberg, the former president of the Tree of Life synagogue, recounted the shooting in a statement provided to CBS.
“At 9:45 there were three simultaneous congregations’ services that were being held,” he said. “In the main part of the building, The Tree of Life has a service that has about 40 people in it. Just below that there is a basement area where New Life congregation would have been having their Shabbat service. There would have been 30-40 people. Just adjacent to Tree of Light’s service area, a congregation was in the rabbi study room and they would have had approximately 15 people in there.”
President Trump said in a tweet that he was aware of the incident and urged residents to remain indoors.
“People in Squirrel Hill area should remain sheltered,” Trump said. “Looks like multiple fatalities. Beware of active shooter. God Bless All!”
The president subsequently addressed the shooting in his comments to reporters at Andrews Air Force Base.
“It’s a terrible, terrible thing what’s going on with hate in our country and frankly all over the world, and something has to be done,” he said. “The results are very devastating, you’re seeing the numbers come in.”
The NYPD deployed officers to local houses of worship in response to the shooting.
“The N.Y.P.D. is deploying heavy weapons teams, including the officers from the Critical Response Command and the Strategic Response Team, to houses of worship across the City,” a police spokesman said.