Security has been stepped up at places of worship in D.C. following Saturday’s mass shooting incident at a Pittsburgh Synagogue that left 11 people dead, D.C. officials have announced.
D.C. police in a tweet said they will increase security around religious institutions in the city. “We have reached out to our Jewish community leaders in DC and have directed MPD officers to pay special attention to synagogues until further notice,” the DC Police Department said in tweet.
D.C. police chief Peter Newsham said that the Special Liaison Unit of the department will reach out to religious leaders. “There is no known credible threat to Washington, DC,” added Newsham.
Paying condolences to the victim families, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said that her administration will be reaching out to the local Jewish community leaders.
“I have ordered a police presence at synagogues in the District and we will be reaching out to faith leaders to offer our support and guidance. An attack on one community is an attack on all of us and on the ideals we stand for and fight for every day,” Bowser said in a statement. “In the face of hate, we stand united to love.”
On Saturday, the gunman killed 11 people and injured six more people after opening fire inside a Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The gunman was also injured in the shooting and later surrendered before police. According to the authorities, the man has been charged and the shooting is being treated as a hate crime.
Today, our hearts are with the Jewish communities throughout the nation and our friends in Pittsburgh. As we learn more about this attack, we reiterate: ignorance and hate have no place in our society.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) October 27, 2018
See full statement below. #UnitedtoLove pic.twitter.com/VZUglvqNip
On Monday, hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in a park in D.C. which was lit with candles brought by people in the honour of shooting victims.