The UN Secretary-General said on Saturday he was
“deeply shocked” by a deadly mass-shooting inside a
synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, which
reportedly left 11 people dead and several others
wounded, some critically.
In a statement issued by his Spokesman, António
Guterres said that the horrific attack, which took
place inside the synagogue while it was packed with
worshippers, was a “painful reminder of continuing
anti-Semitism”.
Police were called to the Tree of Life synagogue in the
largely-Jewish neighbourhood of Squirrel Hill in the
western Pennsylvania city, during morning services
marking the Sabbath. A heavily-armed gunman opened fire
and according to US media reports, shouted, “All Jews
must die”.
The gunman was later taken into custody by police,
after barricading himself into a room, and eventually
surrendering after reportedly being shot. Several
police officers were among the wounded, and reports say
there were no children among the casualties.
Initial reports say that the gunman’s social media
posts were rife with anti-Semitic comments. The
shootings are now under intense investigation at a
Federal level, as it is being treated as a hate crime.
In his statement, Mr. Guterres expressed his deepest
condolences to the families of the victims. “Jews
across the world continue to be attacked for no other
reason than their identity. Anti-Semitism is a menace
to democratic values and peace, and should have no
place in the 21st century,” he added.
He called for “a united front - bringing together
authorities at all levels, civil society, religious and
community leaders and the public at large - to roll
back the forces of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia
and other forms of hatred, bigotry, discrimination and
xenophobia gaining strength in many parts of the
world.”
