Wayne Synagogue Hosting Vigil Monday For Pittsburgh Victims

WAYNE, NJ — An interfaith community vigil in response to the killing of 11 people at a synagogue in Pennsylvania will be held at Shomrei Torah Monday night.

The event is open to the public.

The vigil is at 7 p.m. at the congregation at 30 Hinchman Ave. The Wayne Police Department will be providing security for the event.

Police in Bergen County have stepped up security at area synagogues following the murders.

Two brothers and a husband and wife were among the eight men and three women slain when a gunman opened fire inside a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday, officials announced. (See related: Pittsburgh Synagogue Victims ID'd; Gunman Wanted All Jews To Die)

Armed with an AR-15 and three Glock handguns, the lone shooter, identified as Robert Bowers, began his rampage Saturday morning at the Tree of Life Congregation, authorities said.

The massacre, likely the deadliest assault on the Jewish community in United States history, rocked the diverse Pittsburgh neighborhood and led alarmed religious leaders to express "grave concern" for the country's Jewish population.

Bowers, 46, exchanged gunfire with police officers as he tried to leave the synagogue, authorities said. He was hurt in the altercation and remains hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds. Bowers is charged with 11 state counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation.

Dr. Karl Williams, chief medical examiner of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania identified the victims at a press conference Sunday as: Joyce Fienberg, 75, Richard Gottfried, 65, Rose Mallinger, 97, Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and his 54-year-old brother David, Bernice Simon, 84, and her 86-year-old husband Sylvan; Daniel Stein, 71, Melvin Wax, 88, and Irving Younger, 69.

Patch's Daniel Hampton contributed to this report

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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