Robert Bowers, 46, entered into the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27th. Armed with an assault rifle and three handguns, he opened fire on worshippers while shouting anti-Semitic remarks. Eleven people were killed, and seven were injured, resulting in the largest attack on the Jewish community on record in the United States.
Bowers was later arrested and charged with 29 federal crimes, including obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs, use of a firearm to commit murder, along with hate crimes against the Jewish population. Bowers appeared in federal court two days later, on the 29th of October, and pleaded not-guilty. Charges for these crimes include either the death penalty, or 535 years in a federal prison.
President Trump later responded to the news of the shooting, calling it “a wicked, anti-semitic act of pure evil.” However, he also made the assertion that the shooting could have been prevented, had there been “an armed guard inside the temple.” President Trump’s reactions have caused some anger over both the Internet and throughout the Jewish community.
Ultimately, this devastating occurrence should serve as a reminder that anti-Semitism is still an issue in the United States and that we need to band together as a nation to show support for the victims’ families in their times of need.