A gunman killed 11 people and injured at least six, including four police officers, at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (Oct. 27).
Law enforcement identified the shooter as 46-year-old Robert Bowers. He had multiple firearms, including an assault rifle, and was overheard telling police that “all these Jews need to die.”
The Tree of Life Synagogue was full of people attending Saturday services in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Residents in the surrounding area, as well as students at nearby Carnegie Mellon University, were told to shelter in place. Bowers was taken to a hospital with injuries.
Speaking to reporters at 1:20pm US Eastern time today, Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh’s public safety director, said that this incident is being considered a hate crime, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now taking over the investigation.
The governor of Pennsylvania and president Trump have already tweeted about the event.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.