Pennsylvania Lawmakers Remember Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — Pennsylvania lawmakers held a joint session of the state’s General Assembly to remember the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack.
The memorial on Wednesday came a day after the city’s mayor signed into law new gun control legislation introduced in the aftermath of the Oct. 27 shooting by a white supremacist that killed 11 worshippers.
Lawmakers from the state House of Representatives and Senate were joined by members of the three congregations that met in the Tree of Life synagogue building in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, The Associated Press reported.
April 10 was designated “Stronger Than Hate Day” in Pennsylvania, the hashtag used to support the Jewish community of Pittsburgh after the attack.
“A dark and despicable act inspired thousands to reach out and find ways to lift up their grieving and terrified neighbors,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement before the session.
The gun control legislation has already been challenged in court, with critics saying that state law prohibits municipalities from regulating guns.
Under the legislation, the AR-15 assault-style rifle used by the synagogue gunman would be banned.
A message from our editor-in-chief Jodi Rudoren
We're building on 127 years of independent journalism to help you develop deeper connections to what it means to be Jewish today.
With so much at stake for the Jewish people right now — war, rising antisemitism, a high-stakes U.S. presidential election — American Jews depend on the Forward's perspective, integrity and courage.
— Jodi Rudoren, Editor-in-Chief
