20 minutes of bloodshed
Attack called deadliest ever against US Jews
Court records offer glimpse into chaotic moments inside synagogue
The man accused of killing 11 people in a shooting rampage at a Pittsburgh synagogue was armed with an arsenal of weapons and a virulent hatred for the unsuspecting targets who had gathered to worship in the heart of the local Jewish community.
Court documents provide glimpses of suspect Robert Bowers and the 20 minutes of bloodshed Saturday at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the city’s affluent Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
Mayor Bill Peduto, at a news conference, promised that the city would emerge stronger from its “darkest day.”
“We are a resilient city,” Peduto declared Sunday. “We have been knocked down before, but we have always been able to stand back up because we work together.”
Bowers, 46, burst into the synagogue, shouting anti-Semitic epithets as he opened fire, police said. He shot his victims with an AR-15 – the weapon used in many of the nation’s mass shootings – and three handguns, all of which he owned legally and had a license to carry, according to a law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity.
The gunshots pierced Saturday morning quiet in the neighborhood on the city’s east side. Marcy Pepper, a member of the synagogue until this year, told USA TODAY she heard the gunshots from her home.
“How do you walk in there again, and walk by that spot?” Pepper said.
E. Joseph Charney, a member of the synagogue since 1955, was in the synagogue waiting for the morning service when he heard a loud noise downstairs. A man entered the doorway; then Charney heard gunshots.
“I looked up and there were all these dead bodies,” Charny, 90, told The Washington Post. “I wasn’t in the mood to stay there.”
Charney fled, hiding with others in a storage room full of boxes. A short time later he slipped out of the synagogue to safety.
“At first I felt numb, then thankful,” he told The Post. “I don’t need to tell you how terrible this has all been.”
Bowers shot and killed 11 worshippers and wounded two before being confronted by police, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said. Four officers were injured, including three shot by Bowers, Brady said.
The criminal complaint says Bowers made statements “evincing an animus towards people of the Jewish faith.” Bowers told one law enforcement officer, in substance, that “they’re committing genocide to my people. I just want to kill Jews,” according to the complaint.
Federal authorities have said that police engaged the suspect as he tried to flee the synagogue, driving Bowers back inside. Bowers surrendered to officers after he was wounded, authorities said.
“The officers prevented additional loss of life,” FBI Special Agent Bob Jones said.
Bowers was charged with 29 criminal counts, including 11 federal hate-crime charges. Eleven counts of using a fire- arm to kill carry a maximum penalty of death, though no decision had been made about whether the death penalty would be sought. He is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate Monday.
The Anti-Defamation League called Saturday’s attack the deadliest against the Jewish community in U.S. history. The attack prompted increased security, including a police presence, at synagogues across the nation. Peduto, however, brushed off comments from President Donald Trump that armed guards at the Tree of Life would have prevented the carnage.
“The approach we need to be looking at is how we take the guns, the common denominator of every mass shooting in America, out of the hands of those who are looking to express hatred through murder,” Peduto said.
Karl Williams, chief medical examiner for Allegheny County, said he had notified the families of all the victims.
“The families are in shock and grieving. Please be respectful of their needs, their time and space as they deal with this tragedy,” Williams told the media.
Police Chief Scott Schubert said one officer was treated for his injuries and released Saturday. Another had been expected to be released from the hospital Sunday. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said one officer remained hospitalized in critical condition.
Schubert lauded his officers for running into the danger. “We have a strong relationship with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh,” he said. “I just want to say that we grieve with you.”