Pittsburgh shooting: Multiple casualties at Squirrel Hill synagogue Published 28 October 2018 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 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." We grieve for the Americans murdered in Pittsburgh.<doc-sep>The 11 people killed in the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh included a married couple, two brothers and a 97-year-old woman, authorities said Sunday. The victims' names were released Sunday morning by the Allegheny County medical examiner's office, one day after authorities say Robert Bowers opened fire during a weekly service at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Scott Brady, the U.S. attorney for Pittsburgh, said federal prosecutors were seeking approval from the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty, The Associated Press reported Sunday night. Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and David Rosenthal, 54, both of Squirrel Hill, were brothers, said Dr. Karl Williams, the chief medical examiner. Sylvan Simon, 86, and his wife, Bernice Simon, 84, both of Wilkinsburg, were killed Saturday morning at same synagogue where they had wed in a candlelight ceremony in December 1956, according to Pittsburgh's Tribune-Review newspaper. The youngest victim was David Rosenthal. The oldest was Rose Mallinger, 97. The other victims were: Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland, city of Pittsburgh Richard Gottfried, 65, of Ross Township Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, of Edgewood Borough Daniel Stein, 71, of Squirrel Hill Melvin Wax, 86, of Squirrel Hill Irving Younger, 69, of Mount Washington Williams said at a news conference that the victims' families has all been notified and were "are in shock" and "grieving." Friends and loved ones remembered those who were killed as kind, devoted to spiritual life at the synagogue and loving toward one another. Michael Stepaniak, who knew the Simons for decades, told the Tribune-Review that the pair were "a loving couple, and they've been together forever. I hope they didn't suffer much, and I miss them terribly." Myron Snider, a friend of Wax, a retired accountant, described his friend to The Associated Press as "such a kind, kind person." He said Wax was a pillar of the congregation, according to the AP. "He went Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, when there were Sunday services," Snider said. "If somebody didn't come that was supposed to lead services, he could lead the services and do everything. He knew how to do everything at the synagogue. He was really a very learned person." Daniel Stein, 71, was a resident of Squirrel Hill. via WPXI Stephen Cohen, co-president of New Light Congregation, told the AP that "the loss is incalculable." Stein and Gottfried made up "the religious heart" of the congregation and would help the rabbi with everything that needed to be done to hold services, Cohen said. Richard Gottfried, 65 Courtesy Gottfried family Zachary Weiss, whose father was filling in for the rabbi at the Tree of Life congregation, told NBC News on Saturday that his father told him that when the shooting began, it initially sounded like a "car crash." But soon it became clear that they were dealing with an active shooter, Weiss said. "My father was able to make sure that everybody was hidden, whether it's in the back or they were hidden in place," he said, adding that his father went downstairs to check on another congregation. At one point, his father saw shell casings moving, but he didn't get a clear look at the gunman, Weiss said. Weiss said he hoped people would remember the victims, as well the first responders. He called for the city to come together amid the tragedy. "I'm literally seething, and my heart breaks for so many people," Weiss said. Carnegie Mellon University said Fienberg was the widow of a longtime university and "herself a valued member of our community for almost 40 years." It said it was scheduling a program for Monday afternoon to remember her and the other victims.<doc-sep>The brothers from Squirrel Hill sat in the back of the temple and greeted people as they came in to worship, said Suzan Hauptman, who grew up in the synagogue. Cecil, 59, was tall and gregarious, she said. His younger brother, 54-year-old David, was the serious one. "They were like the ambassadors," she said. "They were always there. And they will always be there in our hearts." The community bid farewell to the brothers on Tuesday in the first funerals for 11 worshippers who were killed in a mass shooting in the synagogue on Saturday morning. Another service was held Tuesday for Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, a primary care physician in Edgewood Borough known for his compassionate care -- often to multiple generations of the same families and in the early days of HIV treatment. The victims' lives will be remembered in services throughout the week. Here are their stories: Irving Younger Irving Younger of Mount Washington also greeted Tree of Life members and visitors with a big smile and a handshake, a friend said. "He was a guy that, when you walked in, he was the first person that would meet you and help you find a seat," his pal and former Tree of Life president Barton Schachter told CNN. "He liked to make sure you knew where you were in the prayer book. It was his duty. He felt responsible. He felt like his role was to help serve." It was a role that came naturally to the charismatic 69-year-old, who had been frequenting the synagogue for at least 10 years, Schachter said. Irving Younger A former real estate agent, Younger used to have an office on one of Squirrel Hill's main thoroughfares. More recently, he enjoyed spending time at one of the sidewalk tables in front of a local coffee shop, where he appointed himself as greeter, Schachter said. Years ago, Younger coached Little League, said Meryl Ainsman, whose son played on his team. She remembered him as a kind man. Melvin Wax Melvin Wax Melvin Wax's greatest passions were his grandson, his religion and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was "always in a good mood, always full of jokes," his sister told CNN affiliate WTAE The 87-year-old accountant was usually among the first to arrive at Friday night and Saturday morning services, Bonnie Wax said. He was well-versed in reciting Jewish prayer. "The synagogue for him was very important. We always used to kid with him that you should have been a rabbi," she said. Upon learning of the shooting, she immediately feared that her brother could have been one of gunman's victims. "He'd always be early, so when I heard this happened, I kind of said to myself, 'Ugh,'" his sister said. "I was hoping it wasn't Melvin, and unfortunately, he was one of the victims." His family released a statement saying, "Known as Mel to everyone, he was a generous, sweet man who would help anyone. We recently found out that even though he was 88, he parked several streets away from the synagogue to leave the closer spaces to 'those who need them more.'" Rose Mallinger Rose Mallinger. Friends and relatives say the 97-year-old Squirrel Hill woman lived for her family. She regularly attended Tree of Life with her daughter, Andrea, who was injured in the shooting. And despite her age, Mallinger was spry, vibrant and full of life. "To Bubbe, family was everything. She knew her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchild better than they knew themselves. She retained her sharp wit, humor and intelligence until the very last day," her family said in a statement. Family friend Stephen Neustein said he fully expected Mallinger to make it to at least 100. The mother of three children, with five grandchildren and one great-grandchild, still cooked family meals for high holidays. Robin Friedman said Mallinger was a secretary in her school's office when she was growing up. Then, as in now, she was a sweet and lovely lady who was quick with a friendly greeting, a hug and a smile, Friedman said. "She had a lot of years left," she said. Relative Elisa Schwartz called Mallinger "one of the matriarchs of the family." Mallinger was a first cousin to Schwartz's grandmother. "We used to have a cousins' club to celebrate Hanukkah and gathered for Seders at Passover," Schwartz said on Facebook. "Tree of Life is actually an appropriate name for how our community has come together. I will be mourning the loss of Rose and the 10 others who have lost their lives too soon as well as praying for the others that were injured," she said. Bernice and Sylvan Simon Sylvan, 86, left, and Bernice Simon, 84. The Simons died together in the same synagogue where they wed more than 60 years ago. According to their 1956 wedding announcement in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the couple married at Tree of Life synagogue. The bride carried a Bible with white orchids and streamers of stephanotis, and wore a gown of ivory chantilly lace and tulle trimmed with sequins. Their neighbor in Wilkinsburg described them as the "sweetest people you could imagine." Jo Stepaniak said she lived next to 84-year-old Bernice and 86-year-old Sylvan for nearly 40 years. They were the kind of people who regularly stepped up to help in their small neighborhood and in the Jewish community. "They wanted to give back to people and be kind," Stepaniak said. "They were loving and giving and kind." Jerry Rabinowitz Jerry Rabinowitz Jerry Rabinowitz touched the lives of many, both as a primary care physician in Edgewood Borough and a member of Dor Hadash -- one of three congregations scheduled to celebrate Sabbath at Tree of Life on Saturday. In the early days of HIV treatment, when stigma around the disease was high, Rabinowitz was known to hold patients' hands without gloves and embrace them whenever they left the office, one patient recalled. Michael Kerr said Rabinowitz treated him for HIV in the 1990s until 2004. Back then, for HIV patients in Pittsburgh, "he was (the) one to go to," Kerr said in a Facebook post Sunday.<doc-sep>“It’s a terrible, terrible thing, what’s going on with hate in our country and frankly all over the world,” Trump said before boarding Air Force One on Saturday afternoon for a flight to Indianapolis. The president made a full-throated denunciation of ­anti-Semitism at a rally in Murphysboro, Ill., later in the day: “This evil anti-Semitic attack is an assault on all of us. It’s an assault on humanity. It will require all of us working together to extract the hateful poison of anti-Semitism from our world.”<doc-sep>
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victim Richard Gottfried is seen in an undated photo provided by a friend. Richard DeFilippo Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victim Cecil Rosenthal is seen in an undated photo provided by David DeFelice. David DeFelice Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victim Melvin Wax is seen in an undated photo provided by family members. Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victim Irving Younger is seen in an undated photo provided by a family friend. Linda Mealy PITTSBURGH -- Officials have released the names of all 11 victims killed in a shooting Saturday at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. The group includes a pair of brothers and a husband and wife. Here's what we know about the victims:Joyce Fienberg and her late husband, Stephen, were intellectual powerhouses, but those who knew them say they were the kind of people who used that intellect to help others.The 74-year-old spent most of her career at the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research and Development Center. She retired in 2008 from her job as a researcher looking at learning in the classroom and in museums. She worked on several projects, including studying the practices of highly effective teachers.Dr. Gaea Leinhardt, who was Fienberg's research partner for decades, says she is devastated by the murder of her colleague and friend: "Joyce was a magnificent, generous, caring, and profoundly thoughtful human being. "Richard Gottfried was preparing for a new chapter in his life.Gottfried ran a dental office with his wife and practice partner Margaret "Peg" Durachko Gottfried. The dentist, who several have noted often did charity work seeing patients who could not otherwise afford dental care, was preparing to retire in the next few months.He, along with Wax and Stein, "led the service, they maintained the Torah, they did what needed to be done with the rabbi to make services happen," Cohen saidRose Mallinger was a "fixture of the congregation," Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh CEO Brian Schreiber told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Schreiber said he regularly saw Mallinger at services and said he'd "never met a more vivacious 97-year-old. "Mallinger's daughter, 61-year-old Andrea Wedner, was among the wounded and is recovering in the hospital.Former Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Law Claus sent an email to his former co-workers Sunday asking them to pass along his condolences to the family of Jerry Rabinowitz, a personal physician.Claus said Rabinowitz was more than a physician for him and his family for the past three decades, saying, "he was truly a trusted confidant and healer." He said Rabinowitz had an uplifting demeanor and would provide sage advice.Brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal "had a love for life and those around them," according to ACHIEVA , a nonprofit organization that supports those with disabilities. ACHIEVA said the brothers were longtime recipients of the organization's services. "Cecil's laugh was infectious. David was so kind and had such a gentle spirit. Together, they looked out for one another. They were inseparable. Most of all, they were kind, good people with a strong faith and respect for everyone around," ACHIEVA vice president Chris Schopf said in a statement.Cecil carried a photo in his wallet of David, whom Schopf remembers as a man with "such a gentle spirit. ""Together, they looked out for each other," she said. "Most of all, they were kind, good people with a strong faith and respect for everyone around. "The two left an impression on state Rep. Dan Frankel, who sometimes attends services at Tree of Life and whose chief of staff is the Rosenthals' sister. "They were very sweet, gentle, caring men," Frankel said. "... I know that this community will really mourn their loss because they were such special people. "Bernice and Sylvan Simon were killed at Tree of Life synagogue, the same place they were married in December 1956, according to local media reports "They held hands and they always smiled and he would open the door for her, all those things that you want from another person," neighbor Heather Abraham told TribLive. "They were really generous and nice to everybody. It's just horrific. "The Simons were fixtures in the townhome community on the outskirts of Pittsburgh where they had lived for decades. She'd served on the board, and he was a familiar face from his walks around the neighborhood, with the couple's dog in years past.Daniel Stein was a very visible member of the city's Jewish community as a leader in the New Light Congregation.The co-president of the area's Hadassah chapter, Nancy Shuman, says Judaism was very important to the 71-year-old Stein.