SHOT AS THEY PRAYED
Woman, 97, and married couple among 11 victims of Pittsburgh shooting
A 97-YEAR-OLD woman and a married couple are among the 11 people shot dead in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre.
Rose Mallinger, 97, is the oldest victim of the shooting spree at the hands of gunman Robert Bowers, who opened fire during a baby naming ceremony.
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Married couple Sylvan Simon, 86 and Bernice, 84, were also gunned down in the Tree of Life synagogue during the Sabbath prayer.
Two brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal, aged 59 and 54, were also murdered.
Other victims include 75-year-old Joyce Fienberg, 69-year-old Irving Younger and 65-year-old Richard Gottfried.
Another victim Melvin Wax, 88, was a retired accountant and was known for always being one of the first to arrive at synagogue and among the last to leave.
Fellow New Light Congregation members, a conservative Jewish congregation that met at the synagogue, said Wax was unfailingly generous.
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Myron Snider, a fellow member of the congregation, described "Mel" as a "sweet, sweet guy".
He added: "He and I used to, at the end of services, try to tell a joke or two to each other.
"Most of the time they were clean jokes. Most of the time. I won't say all the time. But most of the time."
Another victim is physician Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, was described as a "truly trusted confidant and healer".
He was the former Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Law Claus' family physician for the past the decades, who added that Rabinowitz had an uplifting demeanour and would provide sage advice.
The first victim to be named today was 71-year-old grandfather Daniel Stein.
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His nephew Steven Halle said: "He was always willing to help anybody.
“He was somebody that everybody liked, very dry sense of humor and recently had a grandson who loved him.”
Stein was presumed to be dead after family members told that they have been unable to reach him since the shooting.
Stein was attending the Sabbath prayer service alone at the Tree of Life synagogue when Robert Bowers opened fire while shouting "all Jews must die" shortly before 10am local time yesterday.
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Stein has been described as a family man and a new grandfather, according to reports by
Bowers has been charged with murdering 11 people as it comes that another six were wounded.
A 61-year-old woman, a 55-year-old man and a 27-year-old male police officer are in stable condition, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
A 70-year-old man, who has been identified as Daniel Leger, and a 40-year-old male SWAT team officer are said to be in critical condition.
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Another officer was treated for minor injuries and has been released from hospital.
All of those killed were adults, police have confirmed.
The 46-year-old shooter is said to have ranted online about the "infestation of Jews", according to reports.
Federal prosecutors have charged him with 29 charges, including using a firearm to commit murder and hate crimes.
The accused is eligible for the death penalty when he goes to trial.
US President Donald Trump said lawmakers "should very much bring the death pen
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alty into vogue" and people who kill in places such as synagogues and churches "really should suffer the ultimate price."
He told reporters that people like Bowers should not sit on death row ";for years" waiting to be executed.
During an interview short after the shooting President Trump said the attack had "little to do" with gun laws.
He said: "This was a case where if they had an armed guard inside they might have been able to stop him immediately."
Trump added that if there has been armed security then "maybe there might have been nobody killed except for him."
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Having an armed guard at every synagogue in the country was an option, he said.
He continued: "They had a maniac walk in and they didn't have any protection.
"It's even tougher when you're the president of the United States and you have to see this kind of thing happen."
Bowers, who is currently in a stable condition in hospital, was injured in a shootout with police.
Witnesses say the gunman burst into the building carrying three handguns and an AR-15 rifle - a firearm which has become synonymous with US shootings.
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According to reports, Bowers's social media account was filled with white supremacist symbolism and disturbing anti-Semitic rhetoric including rants against the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
He said the group were bringing "invaders in that kill our people" and posted the chilling message "I'm going in" an hour before unleashing terror on the Tree of Life.
He wrote: "I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."
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A gunman who opened fire at a synagogue in Pittsburgh is in custody but police are still urging residents to 'stay indoors' over safety concerns
Bowers also posted anti-Trump statements online claiming there was no ‘MAGA’ when there was a Jewish “infestation" in the country – referring to the slogan Make American Great Again.
He called the US President "a puppet for Jewish interests" while also posting a picture of three handguns along with the caption "my Glock family" in reference to the name of the firearms manufacturer.
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Following the massacre, the 46-year-old was said to have been confronted by two police officers as he left the building.
Both of those cops were injured by shots fired by the killer who fled to a nearby office building where he exchanged fire with a SWAT team.
After he injured another two armed officers, the shooter sustained at least one gunshot wound and surrendered, according to reports.
The terrifying incident, from when the gunman entered the synagogue to when he was apprehended, lasted only 20 minutes.
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Cops are said to have searched Bowers' home in Baldwin, Pennsylvania - which is around 30 minutes drive to the scene of the shooting.
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US President Donald Trump calls for the death penalty hours after a gunman stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11
CBS reported Bower's account - an alternative to Twitter which does not censor any content - had been taken down after the shooting.
President of the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh said over half of the city's Jewish community lived in and around the neighbourhood of Squirrel Hill.
Micheal Eisenberg - the former president of the Tree of Life - there were three services at the synagogue when the gunman entered at 9.45am.
He admitted that he had been worried about the security of the building before, saying: "It was a major concern for me, for us, we were working with home land security to evaluate escape routes.
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FBI, Pittsburgh police, and city and state officials brief the media on the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue and confirm 11 fatalities
Pittsburgh police urge residents to seek shelter after a gunman opened fire at a synagogue
We were working with other synagogues about what to do if something like this happened."
Eisenberg had been on his way to the service when he heard about the shooting.
He added: "I have always had a watchful eye about what's going on in the current climate."
Two SWAT teams were involved in the stand off, according to local media.
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New York City Mayor Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted: "Anti-semitism is a dangerous cancer on our society. We cannot be silent. Stand up. Speak up.
"Challenge it in every form. To our Jewish neighbors and communities: Your city stands with you. We will protect you. And together we will defeat this hatred.";
Israel has expressed its shock and concern and offering assistance to the local community following the deadly shooting.
Minister Naftali Bennett, Israel's Cabinet minister for diaspora affairs, said he was "following the news with concern."
He had instructed Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs to prepare to assist the community in every possible way.
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One person wrote on Twitter: "There was just a man who opened fire in the synagogue down the street from my job. We’ve seen 15+ police cars drive by."
Officers who exchanged gunfire with the suspect had to use their vehicles as a shield to protect themselves from the bullets.
The tree-lined residential neighbourhood of Squirrel Hill, about 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, is the hub of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.
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