After Robert Bowers was wounded in a gun battle with Pittsburgh SWAT officers and was receiving medical treatment, he said “he wanted all Jews to die and also that they (Jews ) were committing genocide to his people."
Those details emerged early Sunday in an affidavit of probable cause charging Mr. Bowers, 46, of Baldwin Borough with 11 counts of homicide for the mass shooting earlier in the day at Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill.
The victims, whose names have not been released, include eight men and three women -- all adults.
In addition to the homicide counts, police also charged Mr. Bowers with six counts of attempted homicide for the six other people, including four police officers, who were wounded, six counts of aggravated assaults and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation.
Mr. Bowers is expected to appear in federal court Monday at 1:30 p.m. in front of Judge Robert Mitchell.
According to the criminal complaint, 911 was called at 9:54 a.m. for a report of an active shooter at the synagogue.
Detectives Edward Fallert and James McGee wrote in the complaint that when officers identified only as Officer 1 and Officer 2 arrived at the scene, they saw the suspect armed with an assault style rifle. The affidavit said Mr. Bowers opened fire on the Zone 4 officers, and they returned fire. Officer 1 was shot in the hand, while Officer 2 sustained cuts to his face from shrapnel and broken glass.
At that point, Mr. Bowers retreated into the building and went to the third floor.
A small team of SWAT officers then entered the synagogue and went to the third floor, the affidavit said, where they encountered Mr. Bowers.
He opened fire, hitting Officers 3 and 4, who also were not named in the affidavit, multiple times. Officer 3 was critically wounded, detectives wrote.
The other officers then engaged in a gun battle with Mr. Bowers, who was wounded.
At some point, SWAT officers and medics carried two victims out of the building. They were taken to UPMC Presbyterian, where they were in stable condition, the affidavit said.
"While in custody and receiving medical treatment, Bowers made statements to SWAT Operator David Blahut that he wanted all Jews to die and also that they (Jews ) were committing genocide to his people,'" the affidavit said.
The state charges are in addition to 29 federal counts filed Saturday night. Those include 11 counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death; 11 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during a crime of violence; four counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer; and three counts of use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Bowers was armed with a Colt AR-15, as well as three Glock .357 handguns when he entered the synagogue.
These details and others were released Sunday morning in a federal criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania by FBI Special Agent Brian Collins.
"During the course of his deadly assault on people at the synagogue, and simultaneously with his gunfight with responding officers, Bowers made statements evincing an animus towards people of the Jewish faith," the complaint said. "For example, Bowers commented to one law enforcement officer, in substance, 'they're committing genocide to my people. I just want to kill Jews.' Bowers repeated comments regarding genocide, his desire to kill Jewish people, and that Jewish people needed to die."
The complaint says that Mr. Bowers, 46, entered the synagogue and killed 11 worshipers before engaging in a gunfight with Pittsburgh police officers.
The weapons Mr. Bowers used in the attack, which were identified by the FBI and ATF, were not manufactured in Pennsylvania and "traveled in interstate commerce" to the state, the complaint said.
Mr. Bowers used all four weapons during the attack, authorities said.
It does not say where Mr. Bowers bought the firearms or if he acquired them legally.
Paula Reed Ward: pward@post-gazette.com or on twitter @paulareedward. Andrew Goldstein contributed.
First Published: October 28, 2018, 5:12 a.m.
Updated: October 28, 2018, 5:15 a.m.
