{"id":45538,"date":"2018-10-27T10:51:02","date_gmt":"2018-10-27T16:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=45538"},"modified":"2019-01-31T03:49:13","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T09:49:13","slug":"11-dead-6-others-injured-in-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/11-dead-6-others-injured-in-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting\/","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: 11 dead, 6 others injured in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By ALAN SMASON<\/p>\n<p>In the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history, a gunman killed 11 people and injured six others, two critically, at a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday morning. Of the six injured, four were police officers and SWAT members who had responded to the shooting. None of those injuries are considered life-threatening.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45539\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45539\" class=\"wp-image-45539 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life-300x198.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life-768x506.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life.png 880w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/198;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45539\" class=\"wp-image-45539 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life-300x198.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life-768x506.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Tree_of_Life.png 880w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-45539\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Google Street View)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Authorities announced that initial reports of a shooting were received by police at around 9:50 a.m. CDT. The attack occurred during regular Shabbat services at The Tree of Life, a 150-year old Conservative movement congregation in the heavily-Jewish Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Police were dispatched to the scene at 9:54 a.m. and reported eight dead as they cleared the scene and moved in the direction of the shooter.<\/p>\n<p>Initial reports suggested that a bris ceremony was occurring there at that time. However, the bris was not being held at Tree of Life Synagogue, but at Dor Hadash, a Reconstructionist congregation that rents space in the building.&nbsp; No children were listed among the fatalities or injured.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities on Sunday morning released the names of the victims killed as Joyce Feinberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal,&nbsp;59; David Rosenthal, 54; Bernice Simon, 84; Sylvan Simon, 86; Daniel Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 88 and Irving Younger, 69. Cecil and David Rosenthal were brothers and Sylvan and Bernice Simon were husband and wife.<\/p>\n<p>The suspect, who was captured on the scene after a shootout, was identified as Robert Bowers, a 46-year-old white male. After surrendering&nbsp;to a SWAT team on the scene, Bowers was placed in custody and taken to a nearby hospital for injuries he suffered in the gunfire exchange. Late on Saturday evening, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/justice-dept-files-29-charges-against-alleged-pittsburgh-shooter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Justice Department filed 29 charges against him,<\/a> establishing the government&#8217;s case of hate crimes against him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll these Jews need to die,\u201d the suspect was reported to have said, according to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/W7VOA\/status\/1056201377586864128\">reports<\/a> at the same time as his attack. Several reports indicated Bowers had a history of anti-Semitic rants, but law enforcement officials emphasized he was not on their radar as a known anti-Semite.<\/p>\n<p>Bowers reportedly posted &#8220;Can&#8217;t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics. I&#8217;m going in&#8221; just prior to his arrival at the synagogue in response to a post by HIAS, an organization that helps place Jewish refugees with jobs. That post on the social media site GAB has since been removed and his account deactivated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>GAB claims to be a social media site that allows free speech, although critics claim the site permits thinly-veiled hate speech.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45610\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45610\" class=\"wp-image-45610 size-medium lazyload\" title=\"https:\/\/gunnewsdaily.com\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-300x121.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"121\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-300x121.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-768x308.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-1024x411.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine.jpg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/121;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45610\" class=\"wp-image-45610 size-medium\" title=\"https:\/\/gunnewsdaily.com\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-300x121.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"121\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-300x121.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-768x308.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine-1024x411.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/1200px-AR-15_Sporter_SP1_Carbine.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-45610\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An AR 15 assault rifle of the type carried by the suspect. (Photo via Wikipedia per Gun News Daily\/Chris Browning)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Authorities said that Bowers had carried an AR 15 assault rifle and three pistols with him into the synagogue and that he had barricaded himself in a room there before being apprehended by the police. Law enforcement sources said he did have a license to carry firearms and was listed as having made six different weapons purchases over several years.<\/p>\n<p>According to Wendell Hissrich, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director, the criminal investigation is being headed up by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who are coordinating with local officials. The attack has been designated a hate crime and will be subject to federal prosecution with the death penalty a possible consequence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a very horrific crime scene; one of the worst I&#8217;ve seen,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s very bad.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While it is no longer considered an active shooter scene, a hard border is being enforced around the synagogue while law enforcement members continue to process the scene. Hissrich asked that local residents stay away from the scene and stay indoors. Nearby Carnegie Mellon University had been placed on lockdown.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is my worst nightmare,&#8221; Jeff Finkelstein, the CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh told the network. &#8220;We at the Jewish Federation over the last two years have looked at hardening facilities and have conducted multiple trainings under our new Jewish community security director.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to reporters at the scene, Governor Tom Wolf said the shooting was an &#8220;absolute tragedy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump responded to the shooting at first over Twitter, saying that it \u201clooks like multiple fatalities.\u201d He later described the account as being worse than he had initially been led to believe.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45574\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45574\" class=\"wp-image-45574 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1.jpg 880w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/198;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45574\" class=\"wp-image-45574 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/trump-1.jpg 880w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-45574\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland after speaking to reporters about the fatal shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Oct. 27, 2018. (Ken Cedeno\/Pool\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Responding to reporters at Andrews Air Force Base on his way to Air Force One, Trump suggested that penalties for these kinds of acts &#8211; in particular, death penalty laws &#8211; need to be stiffened.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump recalled the 2015 shooting by avowed racist Dylan Roof in a Charleston, South Carolina church when he spoke. \u201cWhen people do this, they should get the death penalty and they shouldn\u2019t have to wait years and years,\u201d he said. \u201cThey should pay the ultimate price.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The president repeatedly referred to Bowers, whom he did not specifially name, as a \u201cwacko,\u201d a \u201cmaniac\u201d and \u201ccrazy.\u201d&nbsp;He suggested that an armed guard &#8220;inside the temple&#8221; might have been able to deal with an attack &#8220;if they had someone to protect people.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s comments drew fierce condemnation on social media from many who saw him as blaming the synagogue for the incident. Virginia Democratic House Rep. Don Beyer criticized the president for a \u201clack of empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Tree of Life Synagogue merged with Ohr L&#8217;Smicha, another Conservative congregation five years ago. The building in which it is housed also is home to two other synagogues: another Conservative synagogue, New Light, and Dor Hadash.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45579\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Bibi_Pittsburgh.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45579\" class=\"wp-image-45579 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Bibi_Pittsburgh-300x206.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Bibi_Pittsburgh-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Bibi_Pittsburgh.jpg 496w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/206;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45579\" class=\"wp-image-45579 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Bibi_Pittsburgh-300x206.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Bibi_Pittsburgh-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Bibi_Pittsburgh.jpg 496w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-45579\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. (GPO)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;There is no place in America for violence or anti-Semitism and this violence must end,&#8221; Vice President Mike Pence said at a Las Vegas press conference. &#8220;What happened in Pittsburgh today was not just criminal. It was evil.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was &#8220;heartbroken and appalled at the murderous attack&#8221; and added, &#8220;We stand together with the Jewish community&nbsp;in&nbsp;Pittsburgh. We stand together&nbsp;with the American people&nbsp; in the face of this horendous anti-Semitic brutality and we all pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;America is stronger than the acts of a depraved bigot and anti-semite (sic),&#8221; Ivanka Trump, the President&#8217;s daughter said over Twitter. &#8220;All good Americans stand with the Jewish people to oppose acts of terror &amp; share the horror, disgust &amp; outrage over the massacre in Pittsburgh. We must unite against hatred &amp; evil.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45576\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45576\" class=\"wp-image-45576 size-thumbnail lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-144x144.jpg 144w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45576\" class=\"wp-image-45576 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Arnie_Fielkow18-144x144.jpg 144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-45576\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewish Federation CEO Arnie Fielkow. (Photo by Alan Smason)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans CEO Arnie Fielkow added: &#8220;We are horrified by this act of wanton bloodshed and grotesque anti-Semitism. While this appears to be an isolated incident, the effects are far-reaching. We urge all Americans to stand together with their neighbors against senseless violence and hateful rhetoric.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Fielkow described the hate crime as &#8220;a despicable act of hate and violence.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Aaron Ahlquist, the South Central regional director of the Anti-Defamation League prayed for peace and healing in the aftermath of the tragedy. &#8220;We must do everything in our power to combat hate and extremism so that acts of violence like this do not become normalized,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Our heart goes out to the community in Pittsburgh, and to the families of the victims of this terrible act, including the families of the police officers shot in today\u2019s violence.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_45577\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45577\" class=\"wp-image-45577 size-thumbnail lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-144x144.jpg 144w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-45577\" class=\"wp-image-45577 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Barbara_Kaplinsky18-144x144.jpg 144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-45577\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Local NCJW president Barbara Kaplinsky. (Photo by Alan Smason)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Barbara Kaplinsky, the president of the New Orleans Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), released a statement condemning the shooting. \u201cHate has no place in this country and we are devastated to see that it has once again claimed members of our community. Let me be clear. This act of terror will not break our spirits. We will continue to practice our faith with joy and pride even as our community comes together to once again grieve.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victoria Coy, the director emeritus of the Louisiana Violence Reduction Coalition and an NCJW member added: \u201cToday\u2019s gun violence has touched a community that means so much to me and to my home city of New Orleans. I fight every day to end gun violence here and around the country, and I know that the U.S. deserves better than this. We will work with our Jewish friends and with all faith leaders to disarm hate once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Late in the afternoon, the Jewish Community Centers Association issued their own statement on the shooting, praising the members of the SWAT Team and other first responders for their having rushed the shooter, despite great peril to themselves. \u201cOur hearts are with the Tree of Life Synagogue, the three congregations co-located within the facility, and the entire Pittsburgh Jewish community on what has been a horrific day, as we mourn this tragedy and face an increasingly violent epidemic of anti-Semitism,&#8221; it read. &#8220;Today we were reminded that anti-Semitism is a scourge that can &#8212; and now has &#8212; cost people their lives. It is both reprehensible and intolerable and it must not be allowed to endure in our great country.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/new-orleans-jewish-community-invited-to-attend-vigil-at-shir-chadash\/\">community vigil <\/a>for the Jewish community and the larger outside community of New Orleans will be held this afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, 3700 West Esplanade Avenue in Metairie.<\/p>\n<p><em>(JTA contributed to this story.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"UPDATE%3A%2011%20dead%2C%206%20others%20injured%20in%20Pittsburgh%20synagogue%20shooting\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":45539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[8790,8795,8788,3621,9694],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45538"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45538"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47177,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45538\/revisions\/47177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}