On October 27, 2018, the Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, became the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The perpetrator, Robert Gregory Bowers, a 46-year-old man, killed eleven people and wounded six during Shabbat morning services. The attack targeted not only the Tree of Life congregation but also New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Hadash, both of which shared the building.
This tragic event unfolded with chilling precision, leaving a profound impact on the local Jewish community and prompting widespread condemnation.
The Morning of the Attack
At 9:45 a.m. EDT, three religious services were underway within the Tree of Life synagogue. Tree of Life and New Light congregations had begun their independent Shabbat morning services in the Pervin Chapel and basement, respectively. Congregants of Dor Hadash were gathered near the front of the building, preparing for their 10:00 a.m. Torah study session. Around this time, the gunman, Robert Bowers, parked his car in a disabled parking space outside the synagogue. His vehicle contained five guns, including a Mossberg shotgun, hearing protection, three shooting glasses, and a large green bag filled with ammunition for both the rifle and shotgun, as well as for Glock pistols. Moments before the attack, at 9:49 a.m., Bowers accessed the online alt-tech social network Gab on his phone and posted a final antisemitic message, referencing HIAS (formerly Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) and Central American migrant caravans, stating, "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."
Five minutes later, the gunman, described as a "bearded heavy-set white male," opened fire. He entered the building, initiating a shooting spree that lasted approximately 20 minutes. He was armed with a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and three Glock .357 SIG semi-automatic pistols. Evidence later determined he primarily used the Colt rifle and one Glock during the shooting. He also carried multiple magazines for his weapons, including a 40-round .223 magazine, two 20-round .223 magazines, and several 15-round and 9-round .357 magazines. While typically around 75 people would be in the building on a Saturday morning, only 22 were present on the day of the shooting.
Initial Encounters and Tragic Losses
Upon exiting his car, Bowers immediately opened fire at a synagogue window. Several people inside heard the initial shots, though some, like Rabbi Jeffrey Myers upstairs, initially mistook them for a falling coat rack. Bowers entered through the shattered window and encountered his first two victims: Jerry Rabinowitz of Dor Hadash and Daniel Leger. Both men, with medical backgrounds, had run downstairs to investigate the gunshots. Bowers fatally shot Rabinowitz at the lower mezzanine before shooting Leger in the abdomen. Leger fell on the stairs, bleeding, and was rescued 45 minutes later. Shortly after, Irving Younger and Cecil Rosenthal left the Pervin Chapel to investigate. Younger reached the lower mezzanine only to be fatally shot by Bowers, shouting Rosenthal's name before he died. Cecil Rosenthal ran back upstairs, attempting to reach the Pervin Chapel, but Bowers followed and shot him to death just as he reached the chapel doorway. Inside the chapel, Bowers shot Sylvan Simon, who was next to his wife, in the back before leaving. By 9:54 a.m., police began receiving multiple calls from people barricaded inside, reporting the attack. Sylvan Simon's wife, Bernice, made the first 911 call to report her husband had been shot.
As the shooting continued, Audrey Glickman, Joseph Charny, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, and David Rosenthal sought refuge. Rosenthal, distressed, wanted to "go home" and ran back to the chapel despite Glickman's attempts to stop him. The others separated, with Myers hiding in a bathroom and Glickman and Charny in a clothing donation room. As Bowers moved towards the basement, he encountered David Rosenthal and Joyce Fienberg on the stairs, both trying to escape. He shot both of them to death. At 9:55 a.m., Melvin Wax, the leader of New Light's services, hid in a dark closet in the basement storage hallway with three others, led by Rabbi Jonathan Perlman. Simultaneously, Richard Gottfried and Daniel Stein of New Light hid in the basement kitchen. Gottfried made a 911 call at 9:55 a.m. that lasted until 9:56 a.m. When Bowers reached the kitchen, he fired through the kitchen island, killing both Gottfried and Stein. He later remarked to a psychologist about the "irony" of killing them in front of the ovens. Bowers then approached the storage hallway. Unaware of the danger, Melvin Wax opened the closet door and was immediately shot twice at point-blank range. The other three congregants in the closet remained unnoticed. Another 911 call was made at 9:58 a.m. from the closet. At 9:58 a.m., Bowers left the basement and headed upstairs, encountering two police officers at the entrance doors. He immediately opened fire, hitting one officer in the hand and injuring another with shrapnel to the head at 9:58:52 a.m.
Confrontation and Surrender
Bowers retreated to the mezzanine and then upstairs, targeting worshippers in the Pervin Chapel again, firing shots at 10:01:18 a.m. He shot Andrea Wedner and her mother, Rose Mallinger, killing Mallinger and wounding Wedner in the arm. Wedner was on the phone with police during this time. An injured officer, seeing Bowers through a lobby window, fired five shots at him. Bowers returned fire at 10:01:35 a.m., though neither was hit. Bowers then approached the Simons again, shooting Bernice to death while she was still on a 911 call, hugging her deceased husband, and shooting Sylvan a second time. The 911 operator heard Bernice's final breaths, with her death recorded at 10:01:48 a.m. Of the 12 worshippers in the Pervin Chapel, Bowers shot 8, killing 7 and wounding 1. Police sources reported Bowers shouting, "All Jews must die!" during the attack.
About half an hour later, tactical teams entered the building, searching for the shooter. At 10:53 a.m., officers entered a classroom on the top floor. Bowers opened fire with his rifle and Glock 31, wounding two SWAT members. The SWAT team returned fire in the dark classroom. Two minutes later, another firefight ensued, with Bowers using his Glock handgun after running out of rifle ammunition. He had wounded two officers and two SWAT members, one critically. At 11:08 a.m., Bowers, having been shot multiple times, crawled out of the room and surrendered. While receiving medical care in police custody, he allegedly told a SWAT officer that he wanted Jews to die and believed they were committing genocide against his people. Police recovered two unused, loaded Glock handguns from his waist and ankle holsters, along with three 15-round .357 magazines. He also identified a "Screaming Meanie" trucker alarm clock he had left in the hallway. During the entire shooting, Bowers discharged his rifle 75 times and his Glock 31 17 times.
