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On Saturday, October 27, 2018, a gunman entered The Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood as a service was underway. The suspect barricaded members of the congregation and open-fired, killing 11 innocent souls and injuring six others. The shooter then turned his gun on police officers, injuring four, before he surrendered into police custody.
It is a tragedy that rocked the local community and has the neighborhood in mourning, even more now that the victims in the massacre have been identified.
On Sunday, October 28, all of the victims were identified with ages ranging from 54 to 97 years old. Among the victims were a pair of brothers and a husband and wife.
If you would like to donate to the families who had loved ones taken in the tragedy, GoFundMe has verified a fundraiser supporting the victims of Saturday’s Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. Since the time of the shooting, the GoFundMe Page has already earned nearly $300,000.
A full look at what we know about the victims can be seen below.
Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Victims
Joyce Fienburg, 75-year-old, of Oakland
Richard Gottfried, 65-years-old, of Ross Township
Rose Mallinger, 97-years-old, of Squirrel Hill
Jerry Rabinowitz, 66-years-old, of Edgewood
Cecil Rosenthal, 59-years-old & David Rosenthal, 54-years-old, of Squirrel Hill (Brothers)
Sylvan Simon, 86-years-old & Bernice Simon, 84-years-old of Wilkinsburg (Husband & Wife)
Daniel Stein, 71-years-old, of Squirrel Hill
Melvin Wax, 88-years-old, of Squirrel Hill
Irving Younger, 69-years-old, of Mt. Washington
More information and photos of the victims will be added as it becomes available.
What Happened?
Robert Bowers entered The Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill tunnel where he opened fired on a full congregation. After taking multiple lives and exchanging gunfire with police, the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody.
A total of 11 victims were confirmed dead.
KDKA’s Andy Sheehan says police sources informed him the gunman walked into the building and yelled, “All Jews Must die.”
The incident began around 10:45 a.m. ET. The synagogue was preparing for a service at the time police received calls that members of the congregation were barricaded inside. Multiple casualties were immediately reported, with numbers ranging from 4 to 7.
Police exchanged gunfire with the suspected gunman, with four officers getting wounded before the suspect surrendered.
Where Is The Tree Of Life Synagogue?
Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha is a traditional, progressive and egalitarian Jewish congregation located in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
The website states, “Tree of Life Congregation was founded more than 150 years ago, Or L’Simcha about 5 years ago. In 2010, the two Pittsburgh congregations merged to form Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha. As a conservative Jewish congregation, Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha remains true to traditional teachings, yet is also progressive and relevant to the way we live today.”
The synagogue is located on the corner of Wilkins and Shady Avenue.
