Police responding to active shooter at Pittsburgh synagogue, at least 7 casualties reported - UPDATES

RT
Sat, 27 Oct 2018 15:31 UTC

A suspect has been detained following a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At least seven people have been confirmed dead.

Police radio chatter suggests the suspect told officers that "all these Jews need to die" and he "doesn't want any of them to live" before being detained.

The shooter was carrying an AR-15 and a Glock pistol. An additional weapon was found attached to the suspect's ankle, and a pistol in his waistband. A "military style package" was being checked inside the synagogue following reports of an explosive device.

The shooting took place at the Tree of Life synagogue on Wilkins Avenue. He apparently shot at officers when they arrived at the scene, forcing them to use their vehicles as shields.

The synagogue was reportedly full of people for a Saturday service when the shooting began. Police received several calls from people barricaded inside the building.

Details of dramatic police standoff with the shooter emerged via police radio broadcast on the Broadcastify website. An officer at the scene has told his colleagues over the police radio that there are "four down in the atrium." Another one said "I've got one alive."

"We need armor," one police officer is heard saying, while another one requested to "open up the back for rescue."

A SWAT crew was dispatched to the scene and there was a request for breaching equipment on the second floor, stating that there were rooms with locked doors. An "explosive device" was also mentioned by the officers on the radio.

The shooter was reportedly wearing a green jacket, a blue shirt, and blue jeans. He was carrying an AR-15 and a Glock pistol. The radio chatter has cited his date of birth as September 4, 1972.

Local authorities have confirmed the shooter situation. "ALERT: There is an active shooter in the area of WILKINS and Shady. Avoid the area," the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department tweeted. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto was on his way to the location of the incident.

The department has advised media to stop calling its cell phones. "It is draining batteries and interfering with communications."

A photo posted online by WTAE journalist Chris Lovingood showed police vehicles at the location.

CBS reports the shooter has surrendered.

Comment: ZeroHedge adds updates:

Update (11:40 am ET): As police check the identity of the middle-aged suspect, here's a recap of what we know so far...

* * *

Update (11:35 am ET): Police have cleared the synagogue with a robot and are now seeking to clear it for bombs with a canine.

CNN reported that the synagogue has, in the past, been targeted with anti-semitic graffiti like swastikas. According to scanner reports, three officers were wounded in a gun-battle with the suspect. The FBI has been notified and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House is "continuing to monitor" the situation.

NBC News reported that a bris ceremony was taking place when the shooter barged in. While earlier scanner reports said as many as 11 were dead on arrival, multiple media reports say at least 8 people have died. The Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh said there were between 80 and 100 people inside during the shooting.

* * *

Update (11:15 am ET): Police have the shooter in handcuffs and are in the process of clearing the synagogue. According to scanner reports, at least 11 people have been tagged "dead on arrival."

Here's the scene from a few blocks away:

* * *

Update (11:11 am ET): The suspect has reportedly surrendered according to police scanner reports. According to police scanner reports, he was armed with a Glock pistol and an AR-15.

At least four people have died and a cop has been shot in the wrist. The suspect is crawling out of the building and communicating with the SWAT team.

According to police, the suspect's name is Robert Bower (though this hasn't been confirmed yet by police). He is 46 years old. He reportedly shouted "all Jews must die" at police after being subdued. The suspect was officially in cuffs as of 11:13 am ET.

More bodies are reportedly being brought out. Police have also found a "military style" package on the first floor.

* * *

With the country still on edge from the flurry of more than a dozen attempted mail bombings of prominent Democratic political figures this past week, as many as eight people have been killed after a gunman opened fire during Shabbat services at a synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood. The shooter, who is armed with an AK-47, has taken members of the congregation hostage, according to Pittsburgh's CBS affiliate station.

Officers were forced to hide behind their cars after arriving at Tree of Life Congregation, which is located on the corner of Wilkens and Shady Avenues, as the gunman opened fire on them. At least 4 have been confirmed dead, and scanner reports suggest the total could already be seven or eight. According to one report, the gunman is holed up on the third floor of the synagogue and is engaged in a gun battle with members of the SWAT team.

As one YouTuber who put the scanner feed online noted, "we're listening to a terrorist attack in real time."

Saturday is Shabbat in the Jewish faith, and the shooting reportedly took place during a crowded prayer service. According to one local reporter, Tree of Life has one of the largest congregations in the city.

According to the Daily Mirror, the area around the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue and the area surrounding it have been sealed off.

One purported witness said she saw "15+" police cars speeding toward the synagogue.

Locals have been asked to avoid the area. Nearby Carnegie Mellon University is reportedly on lockdown.

Update 1: ABC reports:

A suspect is in custody after multiple people were killed and three officers were shot at a Pittsburgh synagogue, authorities said.

Police responded to reports of active gunfire at the Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha congregation, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety commander Jason Lando.

The synagogue is a conservative Jewish congregation, according to its website, and there was a morning Shabbat service scheduled from 9:45 a.m. to 12 noon today.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are also responding to the scene. The New York City Police Department said it is deploying extra teams to synagogues and Jewish locations throughout the city.

Update 2: RT reports:

US President Donald Trump has responded to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting by saying that something must be done about hate in America, and that armed guards at churches and synagogues are an option.

The US president said the shooting has little to do with gun laws, and that results could have been different if someone had been armed inside the place of worship.

"If they had some kind of a protection inside the temple maybe it could have been a much more different situation, they didn't," he told reporters while boarding Air Force One.

He said that when people do such actions, they should receive the death penalty.

"I think one thing we should do is we would stiffen up our laws with guns with the death penalty," he said. "When people do this they should get the death penalty."

Update 3: RT reports

A suspect has been detained following a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At least 10 people have been reported dead, according to AP.

Twelve people have been injured, according to local media. Three officers were wounded, though it remains unclear whether they were counted in that tally.

The shooter, identified as 46-year-old Robert Bowers, was carrying an AR-15 and a Glock pistol. An additional weapon was found attached to the suspect's ankle, and a pistol was found in his waistband. A "military style package" was being checked inside the synagogue following reports of an explosive device.

Speaking to reporters, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich became choked up as he said: "It's a very horrific crime scene. It's one of the worst that I've seen and I've been on some plane crashes. It's very bad."

He added that the FBI will lead the investigation into the shooting, and that despite reports of an explosive device there was no evidence of IEDs being present.

The synagogue was reportedly full of people for a Saturday service when the shooting began. Police received several calls from people barricaded inside the building.

A SWAT crew was dispatched to the scene and there was a request for breaching equipment on the second floor, as there were rooms with locked doors. An "explosive device" was also mentioned by the officers on the radio.

US President Donald Trump tweeted that he was watching the events unfold, later stating that the incident was "far more devastating than originally thought."

Human and Labor Rights Lawyer Dan Kovalik was at the scene shortly after the shooting happened, telling RT that the area is generally a "safe and active place" with "a lot of shops." He found it all cordoned off by police when he arrived.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken out against the shooting, saying he is "heartbroken and appalled" by the "horrendous anti-Semitic brutality.