In a briefing on Sunday, October 28, the authorities announced the names of 11 people who died in the tragedy in Pittsburgh synagogue.
Tom Wolf/flickr/cc
The shooting, which mayor bill Peduto called «the worst day in the history of Pittsburgh,» became the bloodiest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.
Who were the victims
Among the dead, the eldest of whom was 97, brothers and a married couple. All of them caught on the synagogue Tree of Life 46-year-old Robert Bowers, broke on the name-giving ceremony with 3 pistols and a semiautomatic rifle.
In the result of shooting injured 6 people, including 4 policemen.
Full list of victims:
- Joyce Feinberg, 75 years;
- Richard Gottfried, 65.
- Rose Mallinger, 97 years;
- Jerry Rabinowitz, 66 years;
- Cecil Rosenthal, 59 years;
- David Rosenthal, 54, is the younger brother of Cecil;
- Bernice Simon, 84;
- Sylvan Simon, 86, husband of Bernice;
- Daniel Stein, 71;
- Melvin works, 88;
- Irving Younger, of 69.
What else was announced at a briefing
- Shooter used pistols and Glock 57 assault rifle AR-15.
- During a shootout with the police, Bowers was wounded, but is now in stable condition. He will appear before court on Monday.
- There is no reason to believe that the perp had accomplices.
- Capital punishment for 22 of the 29 charges against him — the death penalty.
- In connection with the incident in Pittsburgh increased patrol.
- One of the wounded police officers have already left the hospital, one will be released today.
«I want to tell friends and family of the victims: we are here to help you through this — the worst day in the history of Pittsburgh, the mayor said Peduto. Our society is above that. We know that hatred will not win».
Tom Wolf/flickr/cc
What is known about the shooter
According to witnesses, during the attack, Robert Bowers shouted anti-Semitic insults. According to investigators, after the arrest, he said one of the members of the assault detachment, that the Jews «are engaged in genocide of its people» and he «just wants» to kill them.
Authorities also found the account registered under the name of Robert Bowers.. Many of the posts on the page wore anti-Semitic. In particular, its owner was outraged that non-profit Jewish organization in his district helps refugees settle in the United States. Also the man believed that the slogan of the President of trump: «let’s Make America great again» — is impossible to implement as long as the Jews «infect» the country.
In his latest post, published hours before the attack, Bowers wrote: «I can’t just sit by and watch my people erased from the face of the earth. To hell with public opinion, I’m going.»
From Bowers. presumably was an account on the social platform Gab, positioning itself as «free from censorship» alternative to Twitter. Gab is popular among supporters of the idea of white supremacy and right-wing groups. Apple and Google blocked the social network application in connection with pornographic content and incitement to hatred.
During the press conference, FBI special agent Bob Jones said that before the shooting, Bowers didn’t come into the view of militiamen.
Tom Wolf/flickr/cc
What else to say about the incident
In connection with the tragedy President of the trump ordered to lower a little national flags on government agencies until October 31.
The President called her attacker «a maniac,» adding that the U.S. may need to revise the laws regarding the death penalty. «These people have to pay the ultimate price, he said. — This has to stop».
According to the President, the shooting had «no special relationship» to existing gun laws. «If they were security, said trump, perhaps things would have been different».
Barack Obama expressed radically opposite views on this issue. Twitter 44th President of the United States noted that the authorities should «stop being so easy to afford for those who want to harm others, to buy weapons.» Bill Peduto also disagreed with the words of the incumbent on the armed guards.
«We won’t try to rationalize irrational behavior, said the mayor of Pittsburgh in an interview with reporters. — We will make all efforts to eradicate it <…> in our city, country and the world. Hatred never should be».
Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Wolfe called the shooting at the synagogue Tree of Life «a terrible tragedy», adding that «an attack on one religious community in Pennsylvania is an attack on every religious community in Pennsylvania».
«We must take decisive action to prevent such tragedies in the future, — said the head of state. We cannot allow violence to become part of the lives of Americans.»
- According to the Anti-Defamation League documenting all anti-Semitic attacks in the United States, from the Pittsburgh tragedy was the deadliest incident in Seattle in 1985, took 4 life. Then, on Christmas eve, David Lewis rice broke into the home of attorney Charles Goldmark, brutally killing Goldmark, his wife and 2 sons (10 and 12). The offender mistook the family for Jews and Communists.
- According to ADL, the number of anti-Semitic crimes in 2017 increased by 57%, in particular at high schools and College campuses. The entire organization documented 1 986 cases per year.
- Carl Chinn, who heads a non-profit organization Faith Based Security Network, said that the tragedy in Pittsburgh is the 15th mass murder (the deaths of 4 people) of committed in the temple in the history of the United States. The first was the explosion at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham (al). Then at the hands of members of the Ku Klux Klan killed 4 girls African-American girls, the youngest of whom was 11 years old.
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The death penalty in the United States | Sentenced more executed — less
Today the death penalty is prohibited in 19 States and the district of Columbia, whereas the 31st is the highest punishment. However, in 11 of these States it is not used for more than 10 years, although the number of sentenced continues to grow.
