‘Evil’ gunman up for murder rap
PITTSBURGH: TRUMP VOWS TO ENFORCE DEATH PENALTY
‘America is stronger than the acts of a depraved bigot’, as flags fly half-mast for 11 victims.
Aman suspected of bursting into a Pittsburgh synagogue during a baby-naming 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 wounded six people.
He was taken into custody and transferred to hospital before being charged by US prosecutors over the bloodshed, including with 11 counts of using a firearm to commit murder and 11 counts of obstructing the exercise of religion resulting in death.
President Donald Trump 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 enforce the death penalty for such crimes.
“We must stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters to defeat anti-Semitism and vanquish the forces of hate.”
Trump said he would soon travel to Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, where hundreds held a candlelit vigil late Saturday.
The president ordered all flags to be flown at half-mast through October 31 as a mark of “solemn respect” for the victims.
Stephen Weiss, a 60-year-old member of the congregation, described hearing dozens of shots coming from the 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.
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.
“It’s sickening. Outside of just the evil factor of it, who wakes up on a Saturday morning to do that?” said Pittsburgh chef Nathan, 42, who came to pay his respects at the scene. –