October 27: On This Day in World History … briefly
Robert Gregory Bowers, a 46-year-old resident of Baldwin, Pennsylvania, was arrested as the suspected shooter.
2018: Gunman opens fire on a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11
The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was a mass shooting that occurred at the Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, while Shabbat morning services were being held. Eleven people were killed and seven (including the suspect) were injured. It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States.
The sole suspect, 46-year-old Robert Gregory Bowers, was arrested and charged with 63 federal crimes, some of which are capital crimes. He has pleaded not guilty. He separately faces 36 charges in Pennsylvania state court. Using the online social network Gab, Bowers had earlier posted anti-Semitic comments against HIAS (formerly, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) in which Dor Hadash and Tree of Life were supporting participants.
Referring to Central American migrant caravans and immigrants, he posted on Gab shortly before the attack that “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” Some sources argued that the incident should be referred to as an act of domestic terrorism.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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