Worst anti-Semitic attack rocks US
A MAN suspected of bursting into a Pittsburgh synagogue during a babynaming ceremony and gunning down 11 people has been charged with murder, in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in recent US history.
The suspect – identified as a 46-year-old Robert Bowers – reportedly yelled “All Jews must die” as he sprayed bullets into the Tree of Life synagogue during Sabbath services on Saturday before exchanging fire with police, in an attack that also wounded six people.
He was taken into custody and transferred to hospital before being charged by US prosecutors over the bloodshed, including 11 counts of using a firearm to commit murder and 11 counts of obstructing the exercise of religion resulting in death.
P r e s i d e n t D o n a l d Tr u m p denounced “a wicked act of mass murder”, while his daughter Ivanka, a convert to Judaism, declared: “America is stronger than the acts of a depraved bigot and anti-Semite.”
“This evil anti-Semitic attack is an assault on all of us,” Trump told supporters at an election rally in Illinois, where he drew loud cheers as he vowed to fully enforce the death penalty for such crimes.
“We must stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters to defeat antiSemitism and vanquish the forces of hate.”
Trump said he would soon travel to Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, where
hundreds held a candlelit vigil late on Saturday.
The president ordered a l l f lags at the White House and at publ ic g rou nds, mil ita r y posts and naval stations to be f low n at ha l f-sta f f t hroug h October 31 a s a ma rk of “s olem n r e s pe c t ” f or t he v ictims.
Stephen Weiss, a 60-year-old member of the congregation, described hearing dozens of shots coming from the synagogue’s front lobby.
“We had services going on in the chapel when we heard a loud noise,” he told the Tribune-Review newspaper. “I recognised it as gunshots.”
Authorities said Bowers was armed with an assault rifle and at least three handguns when he opened fire shortly before 10:00am (9pm in Cambodia) on Saturday.
Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh’s public safety director described the scene after the attack as “horrific”.
“One of the worst that I’ve seen. I’ve been on plane crashes,” said Hissrich, who confirmed that 11 people were killed, and six injured.
No children were among the casualties.
“Hate Has No Home Here,” read a placard in a simple memorial, next to a heartshaped US flag – the same slogan was repeated in Hebrew and Arabic, with candles and bouquets of pink roses and carnations.
“It’s sicken i ng. Outside of just t he ev il factor of it, who wakes up on a Saturday morni ng to do t hat? ” sa id Pit t sburgh chef Nathan, 42, who came to pay his respects but ref used to g ive h is second name.
The US is witnessing a sharp spi ke i n a nt i-Semit ic i ncident s, su rg i ng 57 per cent from 2016 to last year, to 1,986 from 1,267, according to t he A nt i-Def a mat ion L e a g ue, a civ il rights group which has tracked anti-Semitism in the US since the 1970s.
The ADL said it believes the Pittsburgh shooting to be the dead l iest such at tack i n US histor y.
“We are devastated,” said the group’s head Jonathan Greenblatt. “Our hearts break for the victims, their families, and the entire Jewish community.”
Bowers, who t he FBI sa id was not prev iously known to law enforcement, appeared to be the author of a rash of antiSemitic online posts, notably on t he Gab.c om website, where conspi rac y t heor ie s are common.
A quote atop the Bowers page said “jews are the children of satan,” according to screenshots of the now-suspended account released by the Site Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist movements.
Bowers faces a total of 29 charges, which authorities said could carry the death penalty.
“The crimes of v iolence are based upon t he federa l civ il r ig hts laws prohibit ing hate c r i mes,” a US pros e c utor statement said.