A shooter opened fire during a baby naming ceremony at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Saturday and killed 11 people in an attack U.S. officials are investigating as a hate crime.

At least six other people were wounded, including four police officers who dashed to the scene, authorities said. No children were among the dead.

Police said a suspect, 46-year-old Robert Bowers, was in custody after the attack at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighbourhood. The suspect was taken to hospital and is in fair condition with multiple gunshot wounds, a local official said.

The gunman shouted "All Jews must die" when he stormed the synagogue, according to local media and authorities.

Bob Jones, the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Pittsburgh, said Bowers was not known to law enforcement and that investigators believe he was acting alone. The gunman used an assault rifle and three handguns in the attack, he said.

Police vehicles are deployed near the vicinity of the home of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers in Baldwin, Pa., on Saturday. (John Altdorfer/Reuters)

"This is the most horrific crime scene I have seen in 22 years of police work," Jones said. "They were brutally murdered simply because of their faith."

Federal prosecutors charged Bowers on 29 counts, including using a firearm to commit murder.

Scott W. Brady, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, announced the charges late Saturday.

A news conference was scheduled Sunday to discuss the charges.

Thousands of people attended a vigil in Pittsburgh Saturday evening for the victims of the shooting. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions had earlier said the Justice Department would file hate crime and other criminal charges against the gunman that could lead to the death penalty.

"Hatred and violence on the basis of religion can have no place in our society," he said.

Thousands of people attended a vigil in Pittsburgh Saturday evening for the victims of the shooting.

Watch a witness to the shooting describe what she saw:

A witness describes what happened at fatal shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday. 1:52

The killings come amid a rash of high-profile attacks in an increasingly divided country, including the series of pipe bombs mailed over the past week to prominent Democrats and former officials.

Pittsburgh's Jewish community was shocked by the attack.

"Growing up ... you hear about the Holocaust and you hear stories about other places, but you can't imagine it would ever happen in your neighbourhood," Drew Barkley, executive director of Temple Sinai, another Pittsburgh synagogue, told CBC News.

"It's shocking ... We don't know why anti- Semitism exists the way it does ... It's such an ancient hatred."

Far-right social media presence

The social media site Gab.com said the alleged shooter had a profile on its website, which is popular with far-right extremists. The company said the account was verified after the shooting and matched the name of the gunman.

A man with the same name posted on Gab before the shooting that "HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."

The Tree of Life Synagogue is in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood, about 10 minutes away from downtown Pittsburgh. (CBC News)

HIAS is a nonprofit group that helps refugees around the world find safety and freedom. The organization says it is guided by Jewish values and history.

Bowers also recently posted a photo of a collection of three semi-automatic handguns he titled "my glock family," a reference to the firearms manufacturer. He also posted photos of bullet holes in person-sized targets at a firing range, touting the "amazing trigger" on a handgun he was offering for sale.

Gun debate

The shooting immediately reignited the longstanding national debate about guns: U.S. President Donald Trump said the outcome might have been different if the synagogue "had some kind of protection" from an armed guard, while Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf noted that once again, "dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm's way."

"It is a very horrific crime scene. It's one of the worst that I've seen and I've been on some plane crashes," said a visibly moved Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh's public safety director.

Watch U.S. President Donald Trump react to the shooting:

U.S. President Donald Trump says "something has to be done" about hate in the country in the wake of the deadly shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, which is "far more devastating than everybody originally thought." 6:27

The synagogue is located in the tree-lined residential neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, about 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh and the hub of Pittsburgh's Jewish community.

Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive officer of the Anti-Defamation League, said the group believes it is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history.

"Our hearts break for the families of those killed and injured at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and for the entire Jewish community of Pittsburgh," he said.

International reaction

International reaction poured in Saturday afternoon. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter: "Canadians' hearts are with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh today, as they endured a horrific anti-Semitic attack while at prayer."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "heartbroken and appalled" by the attack.

2/3 We have not received information that suggests an increased security threat in Canada. That said, it is important that our community remain vigilant and follow existing security protocols. If you see something, call police. —@CIJAinfo Want the Jewish community in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SquirrelHill?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SquirrelHill</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pittsburgh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pittsburgh</a> to know that they are not alone. Jews in Canada and around the world are praying for you and the first responders who came to your aid. We stand together in the aftermath of this horrific act of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antisemitism?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Antisemitism</a>. <a href="https://t.co/3yjPJLJQsq">https://t.co/3yjPJLJQsq</a> —@LevittMichael

"The entire people of Israel grieve with the families of the dead," Netanyahu said. "We stand together with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh. We stand together with the American people in the face of this horrendous anti-Semitic brutality. And we all pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded."

World Jewish Congress president Ronald S. Lauder called the shooting "an attack not just on the Jewish community, but on America as a whole."

Canadians’ hearts are with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh today, as they endured a horrific anti-Semitic attack while at prayer. May the families of those murdered be comforted, and may the injured recover quickly and fully. —@JustinTrudeau I was heartbroken and appalled by the murderous attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue today: <a href="https://t.co/NBMO31lMU2">pic.twitter.com/NBMO31lMU2</a> —@netanyahu

Trump called the shooting a "wicked act of mass murder" that "is pure evil, hard to believe and frankly something that is unimaginable."

Trump has at times been accused by critics of failing to adequately condemn hate, such as when he blamed "both sides" for the violence at a Charlottesville white supremacist rally.

On Saturday, he said that anti-Semitism "must be confronted anywhere and everywhere it appears."

'Surreal scene'

The synagogue is a fortress-like concrete building. Its facade is punctuated by rows of swirling, modernistic stained-glass windows illustrating the story of creation, the acceptance of God's law, the "life cycle" and "how human-beings should care for the earth and one another," according to its website. Among its treasures is a "Holocaust Torah" rescued from Czechoslovakia.

Its sanctuary can hold up to 1,250 guests.

Michael Eisenberg, the immediate past president of the Tree of Life Synagogue, lives about a block from the building.

He was getting ready for services when he received a phone call from a member who works with Pittsburgh's Emergency Services, saying he had been notified through scanner and other communications that there was an active shooter at their synagogue.

Police exchanged fire with the shooter before persuading him to surrender and taking him into custody. (Pam Panchak/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/Associated Press)

"I ran out of the house without changing and I saw the street blocked with police cars," Eisenberg said. "It was a surreal scene. And someone yelled, 'Get out of here.' I realized it was a police officer along the side of the house.

"I am sure I know all of the people, all of the fatalities," he went on. "I am just waiting to see."

Eisenberg said officials at the synagogue had not gotten any threats that he knew of prior to the shooting. The synagogue maintenance employees had recently checked all of the emergency exits and doors to make sure they were cleared and working.

Jeff Finkelstein of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said local synagogues have done "lots of training on things like active shooters, and we've looked at hardening facilities as much as possible."</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "It's a horrific crime scene. One of the worst, and I've been on plane crashes"

Eleven people have been killed, officials say, in a gun attack on a synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The gunman, who opened fire as the Tree of Life synagogue held a service, was later taken into custody.

President Donald Trump said "a lot of people" had been killed and injured in a "wicked act of mass murder".

The suspect, who has been officially identified as Robert Bowers, 46, was injured and is receiving treatment.

Two other people are in hospital in a critical condition, police said.

Federal investigators are treating the shooting as a hate crime.

The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish non-governmental organisation that fights anti-Semitism, said: "We believe this is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States."

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption People lit candles as they mourned the victims of the attack

Hundreds of people - from the neighbourhood and also all across Pittsburgh - later gathered for an interfaith vigil for the victims of the attack in Squirrel Hill.

Sophia Levin, a local resident and one of the organisers, told the BBC some people were "really sad" and the mood was "heavy".

But she added that people also wanted to be "together, not alone", and the vigil would help heal the city.

President Trump said he would visit Pittsburgh, following the attack.

How did the shooting unfold?

On Saturday morning, worshippers had gathered at the synagogue, in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood, for a baby naming ceremony during the Sabbath.

Squirrel Hill has one of the largest Jewish populations in Pennsylvania and this would have been the synagogue's busiest day of the week.

According to reports Mr Bowers, a white male, entered the building armed with an assault rifle and two pistols.

Image copyright Google Image caption The Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh

Reports say he barricaded himself in a room at the synagogue when police approached.

Emergency services arrived at the building at about 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT), and gunshots could be heard.

Pittsburgh's Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich later confirmed Mr Bowers was in police custody and was being treated in hospital.

The crime scene was "horrific", he told reporters. "One of the worst I've seen, and I've [worked] on some plane crashes. It's very bad," he added.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Officers cordon off the area outside the synagogue

He said that two officers were injured in an "initial confrontation" and that a further two Swat officers were later hurt by the gunman when they entered the building. He said that no children were among the casualties.

What do we know about the gunman?

US media said he had shouted "All Jews must die" as he carried out the attack.

Social media posts by someone with the name Robert Bowers were also reported to be full of anti-Semitic comments.

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Suspected attacker Robert Bowers

Pittsburgh FBI's special agent in charge of the investigation, Bob Jones, told a press conference that Mr Bowers did not appear to be known to authorities prior to events on Saturday.

He said that any motive remains unknown but that authorities believe he was acting alone.

Mr Jones added that the investigation was "in the early stages". "We will look at every aspect of the suspect's life," he said.

Mr Bowers is receiving treatment for what has been described as multiple gunshot wounds.

'Grief and hurt'

Gary O'Donoghue, BBC News, Pittsburgh

Image copyright AFP

In the dwindling light, and with the cold autumn rain falling, hundreds gathered in front of the 6th Presbyterian church just a few streets away from the Tree of Life Synagogue.

Holding their candles, they sang the Jewish prayer of healing.

The elders in the community had wanted to wait a day before holding the vigil, but the young people said no - they wanted an immediate chance to share their grief and voice their hurt.

Fifteen-year-old Sophia Levin declared that she was a different Jew today to the one she was yesterday. Anti-Semitism, she said, had been something she thought happened elsewhere and in earlier times; but now she knew it was right here, right now.

Some of these young people have been involved in the student gun control movement that sprang up after the Parkland shooting earlier this year.

One of them, Rebecca Glickman, told the crowd that gun control was needed now more than ever.

She told me that an anti-Semite with a gun is more dangerous than an anti-Semite without a gun, so that's a good place to start.

What has been President Trump's reaction?

He called the shooting a "terrible, terrible thing".

"To see this happen again and again, for so many years, it's just a shame," he told reporters on Saturday.

He described the gunman as a "maniac" and suggested the US should "stiffen up our laws of the death penalty".

"These people should pay the ultimate price. This has to stop," he said.

Later on Saturday, Mr Trump appeared at the Future Farmers of America Convention in Indianapolis, saying: "There must be no tolerance for anti-Semitism. It must be condemned and confronted everywhere and anywhere it appears."

Speaking to reporters after the event, Mr Trump said the attacker was not one of his supporters, describing him as "sick".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption What's Donald Trump said about guns and gun control?

Mr Trump has also said that the incident had "little to do" with US gun laws. "If they had protection inside, maybe it could have been a different situation."

Former US President Barack Obama voiced a different position on the ongoing gun law debate, tweeting: "We have to stop making it so easy for those who want to harm the innocent to get their hands on a gun."

What about other reaction?

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said in a statement that the incident was an "absolute tragedy" and that such acts of violence could not be accepted as "normal".

He said: "These senseless acts of violence are not who we are as Americans.

"My thoughts right now are focused on the victims, their families and making sure law enforcement has every resource they need."

The president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Jeff Finkelstein, said his "heart goes out to all these families".

"Now I'm just sad. This should not be happening. Period. It should not be happening in a synagogue. It should not be happening in our neighbourhood here in Squirrel Hill," he said.

Other world leaders to condemn the attack include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he was "heartbroken and appalled".

"We stand together with the American people in the face of this horrendous anti-Semitic brutality," he said in a video message.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "shocked" by the attack.

"Our thoughts are with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and all those affected by this sickening and cowardly act," she said.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country's hearts "are with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh today".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: "We all have to stand up against anti-Semitism, everywhere."

The New York Police Department said it had deployed officers to synagogues throughout the city as a precaution.

Image copyright NYPDCT Image caption Armed police are guarding synagogues in New York

The BBC's Dan Johnson in Washington says the shootings come at a tense time in the US, after a week in which mail bombs were sent to critics of Mr Trump, ahead of crucial mid-term elections next month.</s>A shooter opened fire during a baby naming ceremony at a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday, killing 11 people and wounding six others, including four police officers, according to local officials.

"It's a very horrific crime scene. One of the worst that I've seen," said Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich, describing what he saw in the Tree of Life Synagogue.

In a press conference hours after the shooting, Hissrich said 11 people were killed. None of the people who were killed were children. Additionally, six people were injured, including four police officers.

The suspect was identified as Robert Bowers, a Pittsburgh resident, by officials during the press conference. Bowers was also injured, but officials said he was in fair condition. It wasn't clear how he was injured.

Authorities found an assault rifle and three handguns on scene. Bowers was believed to have acted alone, but his motive was not yet clear.

A bomb squad went through the scene and there's no evidence of any further threats. The FBI is taking the lead as this is considered a hate crime and now under federal investigation.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center system is treating multiple victims. Don Yealy said two of the six people injured were in critical condition. The victims included a 70-year-old man, 55-year-old police officer and a 61-year-old woman.

The synagogue is located at the intersection of Wilkins and Shady avenues. The tree-lined residential neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, about 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, is the hub of Pittsburgh's Jewish community.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his sympathies on Twitter saying, "I was heartbroken and appalled by the murderous attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue today."

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, President Donald Trump praised law enforcement and called the suspect in custody a "madman" and a "whacko." He also said that the country should "stiffen up laws" in regards to the death penalty and also proposed more protection inside the synagogue.

"If they had an armed guard inside, they could have stopped it immediately – maybe there wouldn’t have been anyone killed except him [the shooter]," he said.

Offering a different take, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, called the shooting an "absolute tragedy" in a statement that made reference to calls for tighter gun control laws.

"We must all pray and hope for no more loss of life," Wolf said. "But we have been saying "this one is too many" for far too long. Dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm's way."

The Tree of Life Synagogue is a fortress-like concrete building, its facade punctuated by rows of swirling, modernistic stained-glass windows illustrating the story of creation, the acceptance of God's law, the "life cycle" and "how human-beings should care for the earth and one another," according to its website. Among its treasures is a "Holocaust Torah," rescued from Czechoslovakia.

The synagogue was founded 150 years ago and offers members a "traditional Conservative service with a modern sense of family" and shabbat service on 9:45 a.m. Saturdays, according to the Tree of Life's website.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Penguins are saying in separate statements on their Twitter pages that their "thoughts and prayers" are with all those affected by the shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story, check back here for more updates.</s>At least eight people have died and others are injured after a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.

The shooting occurred at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh shortly before 10am.

The gunman, who has been described as a white man with a beard, is in custody.

According to police sources, he yelled: 'All Jews must die' before surrendering to police following a gun fight on the third floor.

The antisemitic gunman killed three people on the ground level, four in the synagogue's basement and at least one other person before fleeing to the third floor where he exchanged gun fire with police before surrendering.

Three cops have been shot and it is not known what their condition is.

Saturday mornings are often the busiest in the week at the synagogue, with dozens packing in to observe the Sabbath.

Others were there to attend a Bris ceremony.

There are three different congregations in the building and all were likely full, according to the synagogue's former president.

The area is still on lock down, with any residents living nearby told to lock their doors and not go outside.

It remains unclear if the gunman, who was wearing a green jacket and blue jeans, has been removed from the building or not.

He was 'crawling' and injured before he was arrested.

President Trump tweeted that he was aware of the unfolding scenario, writing: 'Watching the events unfolding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

'Looks like multiple fatalities. Beware of active shooter. God Bless All!'</s>The suspect in the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue expressed hatred of Jews during the rampage and told officers afterward that Jews were committing genocide and he wanted them all to die, according to charging documents made public Sunday.

Robert Gregory Bowers killed eight men and three women inside the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday during worship services before a tactical police team tracked him down and shot him, police said in an affidavit, which contained some unreported details on the shooting and the police response.

Officials released the names of all 11 victims during a news conference Sunday, all of them middle-aged or elderly. The victims included a pair of brothers and a husband and wife. The oldest was 97.

Mayor Bill Peduto called it the "darkest day of Pittsburgh's history."

Calls began coming in to 911 from the synagogue just before 10 a.m. Saturday, reporting "they were being attacked," court documents said. Bowers, 46, shot one of the first two officers to respond in the hand, and the other was wounded by "shrapnel and broken glass."

A tactical team found Bowers on the third floor, where he shot two officers multiple times, the affidavit said. One officer was described as critically wounded; the document did not describe the other officer's condition.

Two other people in the synagogue, a man and a woman, were wounded by Bowers and were in stable condition, the document said.

Bowers, who was armed with an AR-15 rifle and three handguns, told an officer while he was being treated for his injuries "that he wanted all Jews to die and also that they (Jews) were committing genocide to his people," the affidavit said.

Bowers was charged late Saturday with 11 state counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation in what the leader of the Anti-Defamation League called the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.

Bowers was also charged Saturday in a 29-count federal criminal complaint that included charges of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs — a federal hate crime — and using a firearm to commit murder. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the charges "could lead to the death penalty."

It wasn't clear whether Bowers had an attorney to speak on his behalf.

The nation's latest mass shooting drew condemnation and expressions of sympathy from politicians and religious leaders of all stripes. With the midterm election just over a week away, it also reignited a longstanding and bitter debate over guns.

Pope Francis led prayers for Pittsburgh on Sunday in St. Peter's Square.

"In reality, all of us are wounded by this inhuman act of violence," he said. He prayed for God "to help us to extinguish the flames of hatred that develop in our societies, reinforcing the sense of humanity, respect for life and civil and moral values."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman quoted Merkel on Twitter as offering her condolences and saying that "all of us must confront anti-Semitism with determination — everywhere."

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote in a condolence message to President Donald Trump that "this abhorrent crime reminds us all to do what is in our power to advocate against hatred and violence, against anti-Semitism and exclusion, and to counter with determination those who incite them."

Trump on Saturday said the outcome might have been different if the synagogue "had some kind of protection" from an armed guard, while Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, up for re-election, noted that once again "dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm's way."

Calling the shooting an "evil anti-Semitic attack," Trump ordered flags at federal buildings throughout the U.S. to be flown at half-staff in respect for the victims. He said he planned to travel to Pittsburgh, but offered no details.

In the city, thousands gathered for a vigil Saturday night. Some blamed the slaughter on the nation's political climate.

"When you spew hate speech, people act on it. Very simple. And this is the result. A lot of people dead. Senselessly," said Stephen Cohen, co-president of New Light Congregation, which rents space at Tree of Life.

Little was known about Bowers, who had no apparent criminal record but who is believed to have expressed virulently anti-Semitic views on social media. Authorities said it appears he acted alone.

Worshippers "were brutally murdered by a gunman targeting them simply because of their faith," Bob Jones, head of the FBI's Pittsburgh office, said Saturday, though he cautioned the shooter's full motive was not yet known.

Scott Brady, the chief federal prosecutor in western Pennsylvania, pledged that "justice in this case will be swift and it will be severe."

The gunman targeted a building that housed three separate congregations, all of which were conducting Sabbath services when the attack began just before 10 a.m. in the tree-lined residential neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, about 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh and the hub of Pittsburgh's Jewish community.

During the week, anyone who wanted to get inside Tree of Life synagogue had to ring the doorbell and be granted entry by staff because the front door was kept locked. Not so on Saturday — the Jewish Sabbath — when the building was open for worship.

The synagogue door was unlocked on the Sabbath "because people are coming for services, and the bell would be ringing constantly. So they do not lock the door, and anybody can just walk in," said Marilyn Honigsberg, administrative assistant for New Light. "And that's what this man did."

Michael Eisenberg, the immediate past president of the Tree of Life, said synagogue officials had not gotten any threats that he knew of before the shooting. But security was a concern, he said, and the synagogue had started working to improve it.

Breed reported from Raleigh, North Carolina, and Lauer reported from Philadelphia. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Mark Gillispie and Gene Puskar in Pittsburgh, Eric Tucker and Michael Balsamo in Washington, Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Michael Kunzelman in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Michael Rubinkam in northeastern Pennsylvania.</s>The gunman, who opened fire inside a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been charged with 29 criminal counts, the Justice Department says.

Armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and at least three handguns, Robert Bowers, the suspect, reportedly shouted "all Jews must die" as he entered Tree of Life Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Saturday.

The 20-minute rampage described as among the deadliest against the Jewish community in the U.S. left eleven people killed and six others wounded, including four police officers who dashed to the scene.

Bowers was shot several times during the shoot-out with police and was transferred to a hospital in stable condition.

Federal prosecutors charged the 46-year-old local resident with obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs as well as using a firearm to commit murder. In addition, he faces state charges that include 11 counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation.

"The crimes of violence are based upon the federal civil rights laws prohibiting hate crimes," the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania said in a statement.

Authorities had earlier said Bowers' charges could carry the death penalty.

According to the authorities, Bowers had no previous criminal history. However, he had previously spoken out against the Jewish community on social media.

President Donald Trump, who condemned the attack and branded it as anti-Semitic, said he planned to visit Pittsburgh, but did not say when.

“What happened today is a horrible, horrible thing," Trump told reporters after stepping off Air Force One in Indianapolis, Indiana. “It looks definitely like it’s an anti-Semitic crime. That is something you wouldn’t believe could still be going on.</s>PITTSBURGH (AP) — A gunman who's believed to have spewed anti-Semitic slurs and rhetoric on social media barged into a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday and opened fire, killing 11 people in one of the deadliest attacks on Jews in U.S. history.

The 20-minute attack at Tree of Life Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood left six others wounded, including four police officers who dashed to the scene, authorities said.

The suspect, Robert Bowers, traded gunfire with police and was shot several times. Bowers, who was in fair condition at a hospital, was charged late Saturday with 29 federal counts, including hate crimes and weapons offenses. It wasn't immediately known if Bowers had an attorney to speak on his behalf.

"Please know that justice in this case will be swift and it will be severe," Scott Brady, the chief federal prosecutor in western Pennsylvania, said at a news conference, characterizing the slaughter as a "terrible and unspeakable act of hate."

The mass shooting came amid a rash of high-profile attacks in an increasingly divided country, one day after a Florida man was arrested and charged with mailing a series of pipe bombs to prominent Democrats and little more than a week before the midterm elections.

The killings also immediately reignited the longstanding national debate about guns: President Donald Trump said the outcome might have been different if the synagogue "had some kind of protection" from an armed guard, while Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf noted that once again "dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm's way."

Trump ordered flags at federal buildings throughout the U.S. to be flown at half-staff in "solemn respect" for the shooting victims. He said he planned to travel to Pittsburgh, but offered no details.

Authorities say that just before 10 a.m., Bower entered the large synagogue with an assault-style rifle and three handguns. Three separate congregations were conducting Sabbath services in different areas of the large building, according to Michael Eisenberg, the immediate past president of the Tree of Life. The Pennsylvania attorney general's office said it was told by victims that a brit milah — a ritual circumcision ceremony at which a baby boy also receives his Hebrew name — was also taking place, though law enforcement officials later said no children were among the dead or wounded.

"It is a very horrific crime scene," said a visibly moved Wendell Hissrich, the Pittsburgh public safety director. "It's one of the worst that I've seen."

The survivors included Daniel Leger, 70, a nurse and hospital chaplain who was in critical condition after undergoing surgery, his brother, Paul Leger, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Daniel Leger was scheduled to lead a service Saturday morning, he said.

The mass shooting raised immediate alarm in Jewish communities around the country. Authorities in New York City, Chicago and elsewhere increased security at Jewish centers.

Bob Jones, head of the FBI's Pittsburgh office, said that worshippers "were brutally murdered by a gunman targeting them simply because of their faith," though he cautioned the shooter's full motive was not yet known.

Bowers, who had no apparent criminal record, expressed virulently anti-Semitic views on a social media site called Gab, according to an Associated Press review of an archived version of the posts made under his name. The cover photo for his account featured a neo-Nazi symbol, and his recent posts included a photo of a fiery oven like those used in Nazi concentration camps used to cremate Jews during World War II.

Other posts referenced false conspiracy theories suggesting the Holocaust — in which an estimated 6 million Jews perished — was a hoax. He wrote of a Jewish "infestation," using a slur for Jews.

Gab confirmed Bowers had a profile on its website, which is popular with far-right extremists.

Before the shooting, the poster believed to be Bowers also wrote that "HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."

HIAS is a nonprofit group that helps refugees around the world find safety and freedom. The organization says it is guided by Jewish values and history.

Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive officer of the Anti-Defamation League, said the group believes Saturday's attack was the deadliest on the Jewish community in U.S. history.

"Our hearts break for the families of those killed and injured at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and for the entire Jewish community of Pittsburgh," Greenblatt said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "heartbroken and appalled" by the attack.

"The entire people of Israel grieve with the families of the dead," Netanyahu said. "We stand together with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh. We stand together with the American people in the face of this horrendous anti-Semitic brutality. And we all pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded."

Thousands of people, some holding candles, gathered for a vigil in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Saturday night in honor of the victims, whose names were not immediately released. A chant of "vote, vote, vote" broke out during the emotional gathering. Some attendees blamed the shooting on the nation's political climate, and said they took little solace in the planned visit by Trump.

At a political rally in Murphysboro, Illinois, Trump said "the evil anti-Semitic attack is an assault on all of us."

The president — who, at times, has been accused by critics of failing to adequately condemn hate, such as when he blamed "both sides" for the violence at a Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacist rally in 2017 — said that anti-Semitism must be "confronted and condemned everywhere it rears it very ugly head." He called for the imposition of the death penalty for "crimes like this."

The synagogue is located in the tree-lined residential neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, about 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh and the hub of Pittsburgh's Jewish community. The facade of the fortress-like concrete building is punctuated by rows of swirling, modernistic stained-glass windows illustrating the story of creation, the acceptance of God's law, the "life cycle" and "how human-beings should care for the earth and one another," according to its website. Among its treasures is a "Holocaust Torah," rescued from Czechoslovakia.

Its sanctuary can hold up to 1,250 people.

Eisenberg, the former synagogue president, said officials at Tree of Life had not gotten any threats that he knew of before the shooting. But he said security was a concern, and the synagogue had started working to improve it.

Chuck Diamond, a former rabbi at the synagogue who retired more than a year ago, said the building is locked during the week, and is outfitted with security cameras. "But on Sabbath it's an open door," he said.

"You know, you're always worried that something would happen," said Myron Snider, head of the cemetery committee for New Light Congregation, which meets at Tree of Life. Snider just got out of the hospital on Thursday and missed Saturday's service.

"But you never dream that it would happen like this," Snider added. "Just never ever dream that it would happen like this."

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Michael Balsamo in Washington, Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia, Gene Puskar in Pittsburgh, Marc Levy in Harrisburg and Allen G. Breed in Raleigh, N.C., and Michael Kunzelman in Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed to this report.

For AP's complete coverage of the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings: https://www.apnews.com/Shootings</s>Authorities responded Saturday to reports of an active shooter at a Pittsburgh synagogue in Pennsylvania. A suspect was reported by police to be in custody following a shooting with multiple casualties the Tree of Life Synagogue in the city's Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

"The suspect in the shooting is in custody. We have multiple casualties inside the synagogue. We have three officers shot," Chris Togneri Police spokesman told reporters. "At this time we have no more information because we are still clearing the building and trying to figure out if the situation is safe, if there are anymore threats inside the building."

It remains unclear exactly how many people may have been injured or killed in Saturday's shooting. According to a schedule of worship services posted to the synagogue's website, a morning Shabbat service was being held at the time of the shooting, although it is unclear how many congregants may have been in attendance Saturday. The Tree of Life's website notes that the synagogue's main sanctuary can fit 1,250 guests.

Police have warned residents to avoid the area as the situation continues to unfold. "A short time ago we were dispatched to active gunfire at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill," Pittsburgh Police Commander Jason Lando told reporters. "Right now, we have multiple casualties and we're working the situation. It is imperative that the neighbors in the community surrounding the Tree of Life synagogue stay in their houses and shelter in place."

"Do not come out of your home right now," Lando stressed to residents. "It is not safe."

President Donald Trump echoed authorities' request that residents avoid the area and shelter in place when responding to news of the incident on Twitter. "Watching the events unfolding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania," Trump tweeted Saturday. "People in Squirrel Hill area should remain sheltered. Looks like multiple fatalities. Beware of active shooter. God Bless All!"

Later in the day, the president took to Twitter again to say the situation in Pittsburgh appeared to be worse than he'd initially thought. "Events in Pittsburgh are far more devastating than originally thought," he tweeted. "Spoke with Mayor and Governor to inform them that the Federal Government has been, and will be, with them all the way."

In a tweet of his own, Pittsburgh Gov. Tom Wolf called the incident "a serious situation" and asked people to "keep the congregants and law enforcement in your prayers."

"These senseless acts of violence are not who we are as Americans," Wolf later said in a statement. "Dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm's way. And in the aftermath of this tragedy, we must come together and take action to prevent these tragedies in the future. We cannot accept this violence as normal."

According to NBC News, Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill is considered to be both "a historic Jewish enclave" and a "center for Jewish life" in the city. A Brandeis University study of the Greater Pittsburgh area's Jewish community reportedly found that more than a quarter of the area's Jewish community lived in Squirrel Hill.</s>A gunman has entered a synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and opened fire, police report.

Emergency services arrived at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue at about 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT), according to reports.

There are multiple casualties, a spokesman for the Pittsburgh police department said.

According to police radio, the gunman has now surrendered and is in police custody.

Police had warned people to stay in their homes during the incident at the synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighbourhood.

US President Donald Trump tweeted to say that he was watching events.

A service was taking place at the time of the shooting, according to the synagogue's official website.</s>PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Criminal homicide charges have been filed against a man accused of killing 11 people and injuring several others inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue on Saturday.

Police say 46-year-old Robert Bowers walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue yelling anti-Semitic slurs and shooting at worshipers while three separate services were going on.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office has now filed charges against the alleged gunman, which include 11 counts of criminal homicide, along with counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation.

The attack went on for about 20 minutes and the FBI is treating the shootings as a hate crime.

“Members of the Tree of Life synagogue conducting a peaceful service were brutally murdered in their place a worship by a gunman targeting them simply because of their faith,” Bob Jones, of the FBI, said.

Investigators say Bowers was armed with an AR-15 and three handguns. He exchanged gunfire with police before he was subdued and taken to the hospital. Four officers were among the injured.
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According to court paperwork, Bowers made statements to police “that he wanted all Jews to die and also that they were committing genocide to his people.”

“It is a very horrific crime scene,” Pittsburgh Director Of Public Safety Wendell Hissrich said. “It’s one of the worst that I’ve seen.”

A former rabbi at the synagogue admitted he always feared something like this would happen.

“There’s a lot of anti-Semitism out there and there’s a lot of hate out there. You can just look in the news every day. It’s sobering that it’s touched our community,” Rabbi Chuck Diamond said.

Investigators say it appears that Bowers acted alone.

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A gunman opens fire at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing at least 11 people.