Nov. 2 | Nov. 1 | Oct. 31 | Oct. 30 | Oct. 29 | Oct. 28 | Oct. 27

Eleven people are dead and six more are wounded — including four police officers — after a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood Saturday morning.

On the evening of the shooting and in the following days, Pittsburghers mourned the victims of the shooting, which authorities are investigating as a hate crime.

The suspected shooter, who officials said had a modern precision rifle and three handguns, has been identified as Robert Bowers, 46, of Baldwin Borough.

Friday, Nov. 2

The final funeral service for the victims of the Tree of Life shooting was held on Friday as Rose Mallinger was laid to rest.

As the sun set Friday evening, people of different faiths joined the Jewish community and flocked to synagogues around the city for the first Shabbat services since the shooting.

 

 

Thursday, Nov. 1

Thursday was the third day of funerals for victims of the Tree of Life shooting as Richard Gottfried and married couple Bernice and Sylvan Simon were laid to rest.

 

 

Wednesday, Oct. 31

‘Evil tried to shut out a light’

Funeral services continued Wednesday as three victims — Joyce Fienberg, Irving Younger and Melvin Wax — were laid to rest.

“Evil tried to shut out a light, but the light refuses to be dimmed,” said Ms. Fienberg’s brother Robert Libman. “The light shines in our hearts, even in our broken hearts.”

 

 

Tuesday, Oct. 30

 “I had to be here.”

The city on Tuesday continued to remember the victims of the attack as funeral services began and students at the Jewish Community Day School held a remembrance vigil.

At the funeral for Cecil and David Rosenthal, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers paid tribute to the brothers.

They had “not an ounce of hate in them, something we’re terribly missing in society today,” said Rabbi Myers, himself a survivor of the attack.

President Donald Trump arrived in Pittsburgh around 4 p.m. and traveled to the Tree of Life synagogue, joined by first lady Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The president and first lady laid flowers and stones on a memorial that honored the victims of the shooting. Mr. Trump spent most of his four hours in Pittsburgh at UPMC Presbyterian visiting with officers who responded to the shooting, some of whom were shot by the gunman.

Some local officials had expressed their opposition to Mr. Trump’s visit and thousands joined in a peaceful march near the synagogue to protest the visit and continue to mourn for the victims.

 

 

Monday, Oct. 29

A new week

As a new business week quietly began in Squirrel Hill, developments continued in the aftermath of the shooting. Mourners visited memorials outside the Tree of Life synagogue throughout the day and the accused shooter appeared in a federal courthouse after leaving Allegheny General Hospital.

Mayor Bill Peduto said Monday that he wants the White House to consult with families of those killed before a visit from President Donald Trump. Later Monday, Mr. Trump announced that he would visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday to “grieve with Pittsburgh.”

 

 

 

Sunday, Oct. 28

Remembering the victims

As words of comfort poured in from around the globe, Pittsburgh grieved on Sunday for those lost in the anti-Semitic attack. Mourners placed flowers on memorials and attended vigils honoring the victims.

“To the victims families and friends, we’re here for you,” Mayor Bill Peduto said. “We’ll be here to help you through this horrific episode. We’ll get through this darkest day of Pittsburgh’s history by working together.”

Post-Gazette reporters have written about how the 11 of the victims are being remembered by friends and family. The Post-Gazette is inviting readers to share messages of support.

“We will not be broken.”

Thousands gathered at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum Sunday evening for a vigil to remember the victims of the massacre.

The outpouring of support was so overwhelming that it filled the Oakland landmark to its capacity, which is listed at more than 2,300 people. Hundreds more stood in the rain outside of the building to listen to the service as it was broadcast through speakers.

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman of New Light Congregation tearfully spoke of losing three of the “pillars” of the congregation, who were as dedicated to social service outside as they were to religious life inside the synagogue.

“That volunteerism would not be matched,” he said. “That extended beyond the borders of New Light Congregation. To working with the poor, and the hungry and the needy. These three men — they cannot be replaced. But we will not be broken. We will not be ruined by this event.”

Reporting by Peter Smith

In Focus Video

 

 

 

Saturday, Oct. 27

“One of the worst that I’ve seen.”

Speaking at a press conference Saturday afternoon, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich called the crime scene “horrific” and said it was one of the worst he had ever seen.

“We had a tragedy here today,” Mr. Hissrich said, as Gov. Tom Wolf and other officials stood behind him “The work of the first responders has probably prevented it from becoming much more tragedy than what it is.

Reporting by Kris Mamula, Andrew Goldstein, Paula Reed Ward, Liz Navratil and Shelly Bradbury

Social media posts attributed to the suspected shooter, Robert Bowers, indicate he may have been motivated by his hatred of Jews and immigrants. A affidavit of probable cause says Mr. Bowers told authorities “he wanted all Jews to die and also that they (Jews) were committing genocide to his people.”

The U.S. Attorney’s office on Saturday filed 29 charges against Mr. Bowers and Pittsburgh police filed 11 additonal charges.

Reporting by Paula Reed Ward, Rich Lord, Liz Navratil and Ashley Murray

“In that spirit of neighborliness”

More than 3,000 people from the Pittsburgh community turned out Saturday night for an interfaith candlelight vigil of Hebrew and English songs and hymns to honor the 11 victims of the mass shooting earlier in the day.

As the Jewish Sabbath ended at sundown, students from Allderdice High School who organized the vigil, led the gathering at the intersection of Murray and Forbes avenues with a “prayer for healing.” The Rev. Vincent Kolb of Sixth Presbyterian, located across the street from the Jewish Community Center, began by alluding to a former worshiper in those pews, the late Fred Rogers.

Heeding his message of “love, neighborliness and peace,” he said, “it is in that spirit of neighborliness that we gather here tonight to be allies to our Jewish neighbors who have been victimized and traumatized by this tragedy.”

He added: “We gather because we are heartbroken but also to show zero tolerance for anti-Semitic speech, anti-Semitic behavior and anti-Semitic violence.”

Reporting by Marylynne Pitz and Peter Smith

“Simply unconscionable”

Expressions of sympathy and sorrow poured out in the hours following the shooting.

“It is simply unconscionable for Jews to be targeted during worship on a Sabbath morning, and unthinkable that it would happen in the United States of America in this day and age,” said Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who also noted the recent uptick in anti-Semitic attacks.

President Donald Trump, who will visit Pittsburgh in the wake of the shooting, said there “there must be no tolerance for anti-Semitism in America.” He also claimed that the synagogue could have stopped the shooter if it had an armed guard.