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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 29 october 2018
Police: Synagogue gunman said ‘I just want to kill Jews’

By MARK SCOLFORO, something could have
CLAUDIA LAUER and ALLEN been done. I don’t know.”
G. BREED, Associated Press The victims included Mel-
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tributes vin Wax, a retired accoun-
rolled in Sunday to the vic- tant in his late 80s who was
tims of the Pittsburgh syna- always one of the first to
gogue massacre as au- arrive at synagogue and
thorities worked to piece among the last to leave.
together the background “He and I used to, at the
and movements of the sus- end of services, try to tell a
pected gunman, who au- joke or two to each other,”
thorities said expressed ha- said Myron Snider, a fellow
tred of Jews as he opened member of New Light Con-
fire with an AR-15 rifle and gregation, which rented
other weapons and later space in the basement of
told police, “All these Jews Tree of Life. “Most of the
need to die.” time they were clean jokes.
Robert Gregory Bowers Most of the time. I won’t
killed eight men and three say all the time. But most of
women inside the Tree of the time.”
Life Synagogue on Satur- The FBI investigates in the rain after an active shooter situation at the Tree of Life Congregation on The toll also included pro-
day during worship services Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh. fessors, dentists and physi-
before a tactical police Associated Press. cians.
team tracked him down and wife. The youngest was and three handguns, all Semitic views on social me- The University of Pittsburgh
and shot him, authorities 54 and the oldest was 97. of which he owned le- dia. It appears he acted Medical Center tweeted it
said in state and federal “The loss is incalculable,” gally and had a license to alone, authorities said. mourned the loss of Dr. Jer-
affidavits made public on said Stephen Cohen, co- carry, according to a law His neighbor, Chris Hall, said ry Rabinowitz, 66, “one of
Sunday. president of New Light enforcement official who he never heard or saw any- the kindest physicians and
Six people were injured in Congregation, which rents wasn’t authorized to dis- thing to indicate that Bow- human beings in our com-
the attack, including four space at Tree of Life. cuss the ongoing investiga- ers harbored anti-Semitic munity.”
officers. Mayor Bill Peduto called it tion, and spoke Sunday on views or posed a threat. Two other victims, Ce-
Officials released the the “darkest day of Pitts- condition of anonymity. Bowers kept to himself, he cil Rosenthal, 59, and his
names of all 11 of the dead, burgh’s history.” Little else was known about said. “The most terrifying younger brother David
all of them middle-aged or Bowers shot his victims with Bowers, who had no ap- thing is just how normal he Rosenthal, 54, were intel-
elderly. The victims includ- an AR-15 — the weapon parent criminal record but seemed,” Hall said. “I wish lectually disabled and lived
ed intellectually disabled used in many of the na- who is believed to have I knew what was going on together in Pittsburgh’s
brothers and a husband tion’s mass shootings — expressed virulently anti- inside his head. Maybe Squirrel Hill neighborhood,
near the synagogue where
they were killed.
“Cecil’s laugh was infec-
tious. David was so kind
and had such a gentle spir-
it. Together, they looked
out for one another. They
were inseparable,” said
Chris Schopf, vice presi-
dent of residential sup-
ports for ACHIEVA, which
helped the brothers live
independently. “Most of
all, they were kind, good
people with a strong faith
and respect for everyone
around.”
Vigils were planned in Pitts-
burgh, Washington and
elsewhere, while the Pitts-
burgh Steelers and Cleve-
land Browns observed a
moment of silence at Heinz
Field on Sunday.
Bowers apparently posted
an anti-Semitic message
on a social media account
linked to him just a few min-
utes before he opened fire
during Sabbath services
on Saturday morning. Af-
ter the attack, he told an
officer, “I just want to kill
Jews,” according to a fed-
eral affidavit .q