PITTSBURGH — A man armed with an AR-15 rifle and at least three handguns, shouting anti-Semitic slurs, opened fire inside a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday morning killing 11 people and wounding six others, including four police officers during a firefight.
Suspect Robert Bowers allegedly entered an unlocked door at Tree of Life synagogue at around 9:45 a.m., armed with a Colt AR-15 rifle and three Glock .357 handguns, the Washington Post reports.
According to authorities, Bowers roamed the building and fired indiscriminately at groups of worshippers he came across for several minutes.
As he was leaving the synagogue, Bowers was met by two officers dressed in tactical gear and exchanged fire with them. Bowers shot one of the officers in the hand, while the other was injured by shrapnel.
Bowers retreated back inside and barricaded himself inside a room on the third floor.
Bowers then shot two more officers during a brief standoff with a SWAT team. He was allegedly yelling anti-Semitic remarks throughout.
The suspect was shot several times before he surrendered to police.
He has been charged with 29 federal counts plus 36 state counts in connection with Saturday's shooting.
Bowers reportedly had a social media account on Gab.com where he made anti-Semitic and anti-refugee posts prior to the shooting.
