Steelers hold moment of silence before Sunday's game; other condolences pour in

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns held a moment of silence before Sunday's game in honor of the victims of a mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.

There was also a moment of silence before the Pittsburgh Penguins game, which was against the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night.

The shooting Saturday morning left multiple people dead and others, including law enforcement, wounded.

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The 11 people killed have been identified as:

1. Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland

2. Richard Gottfried, 65, of Ross Township

3. Rose Mallinger, 97, of Squirrel Hill

4. Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, of Edgewood

5. Cecil Rosenthal, 59, of Squirrel Hill

6. David Rosenthal, 54, of Squirrel Hill

7. Bernice Simon, 84, of Wilkinsburg

8. Sylvan Simon, 87, of Wilkinsburg

9. Daniel Stein, 71, of Squirrel Hill

10. Melvin Wax, 88, of Squirrel Hill

11. Irving Younger, 69, of Mt. Washington

LIVE UPDATES: Deadly shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill

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Below are statements from officials and messages posted on social media in reaction to the shooting and in tribute to those killed:

"The shooting in Pittsburgh this morning is an absolute tragedy. I have spoken with local leaders and my administration and the Pennsylvania State Police will provide any resources to assist local law enforcement and first responders.

"These senseless acts of violence are not who we are as Americans. My thoughts right now are focused on the victims, their families and making sure law enforcement has every resource they need.

"We must all pray and hope for no more loss of life. But we have been saying "this one is too many" for far too long. Dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm's way.

"And in the aftermath of this tragedy, we must come together and take action to prevent these tragedies in the future. We cannot accept this violence as normal."

"The violence against the Tree of Life congregation today is horrific. It is an assault on the liberties our country and Commonwealth were founded to protect. When any one community is targeted with violence, intimidation or discrimination it threatens all of us and must be condemned. That this attack took place in a house of worship where congregants seek safety and peace is particularly perverse and is an attempt to intimidate people of faith. That attempt will never succeed," Attorney General Shapiro said.

"I'm proud to stand with the brave men and women in law enforcement who put their lives at risk to save others today. I am profoundly grateful to them for their bravery."

"My prayers are with the victims of this heinous act and the loved ones left behind who grieve for them. As the congregants of Tree of Life, the people of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvanians across our Commonwealth grapple with this latest atrocity over the coming days and weeks, we must act to quell this senseless violence. There will be hard conversations ahead, looking at both our words and our laws, but they are critical for us to heal and move forward together."

"As we are all devastated by this morning's massacre at Tree of Life Congregation, my heart and my prayers are especially lifted up for our Jewish sisters and brothers and the law enforcement officers who rushed into harm's way. The relationship between Tree of Life and the Diocese of Pittsburgh has been close over many years.

"Anti-Jewish bigotry, and all religious and ethnic bigotry, is a terrible sin. As we pray for peace in our communities and comfort for the grieving, we must put prayer into action by loving our neighbors and working to make "Never again!" a reality. May God free us from fear and hatred, and sow peace in our lives, our communities and in the world."

"The Squirrel Hill community of Pittsburgh suffered an act of unspeakable violence today. A gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue during Shabbat services, murdering and wounding people at prayer.

"I went to the Tree of Life Synagogue this morning and spoke with Jeff Finkelstein, the president of the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh, and offered to help in any way that I can.

"Gun violence anywhere is devastating, but to attack people in their place of worship is deeply horrific. We do not yet know the shooter's motivations, but we do know that our Jewish friends and neighbors, and all of Pittsburgh, is in pain today.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and our entire Jewish community."

"I thank police and first responders for their quick response and bravery during the situation.

"Please join me in keeping the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers. As Pennsylvanians, we must come together to offer the victims, their families and the community whatever assistance and support they need.

"Moving forward, I and my colleagues in the legislature will continue to support law enforcement and our local communities, and by working together, we can help make our state a place where all people are safe in their homes, schools and daily lives, and where we all respect the contributions, dignity and humanity of every Pennsylvanian."

"The despicable act of domestic terrorism at Tree of Life Synagogue reminds us that evil is alive in this world and must be confronted in a spirit of courage and tolerance. When the rights of any community are under attack, all of our rights are attacked. Today, all of us stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and send out our prayers to the members of Tree of Life."

State Reps. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton, Michael Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, and Jared Solomon, D-Phila., today issued the following statement on the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh:

"We are shocked, horrified and deeply saddened by the tragic shooting today at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their families and friends, and the entire community as we all begin to come to terms with what transpired today. We are also immeasurably grateful to the swift and courageous response of local law enforcement who managed to force the suspect into surrendering, and we salute particularly those officers who were injured in the fight.

"These acts of hate and violence have no place in our communities, our Commonwealth or our country. Sadly, they have become all too common. And for it to occur in a synagogue on the Sabbath is all the more heartbreaking, that someone would take the holiest of days to murder innocent worshipers.

"With each shooting we all ask, 'Will this be the one that prompts real change?' Yet, instead of fostering change, it seems to foster a numbness and a callousness in our culture, a culture that accepts these incidents as a fact of life. We cannot and will not live in a society where we have to explain to our children and their children that this behavior is something that just happens in the United States in the 21st century. Instead, we must have strength like those who stood in the way of the bullets, courage like those who charged into, not away from the fight, and steadfastness like those who bring villains like this to justice. Thoughts and prayers are no longer enough."

"Words cannot adequately express my sorrow at this morning's horrific massacre at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.  I am absolutely heartbroken at yet another senseless act of gun violence perpetrated on holy ground. My prayers, and those of the entire Catholic community in the Diocese of Greensburg, go out to the people who were killed and those who were injured, including the first responders who risked their lives trying to save others.  We will also pray for the loved ones of these victims and for all of our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community.

"People of faith should be able to worship God in peace and security.  Our sacred places should be free of all violence.  May we find a way to respect the lives of one another without resorting to such brutality.  We will continue to work for an end to hatred and bigotry of any kind."

"Our hearts break for the families of those killed and injured at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and for the entire Jewish community of Pittsburgh. We believe this is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States. We are actively engaged with law enforcement to support their investigation and call on authorities to investigate this as a hate crime.

"It is simply unconscionable for Jews to be targeted during worship on a Sabbath morning, and unthinkable that it would happen in the United States of America in this day and age. Unfortunately, this violence occurs at time when ADL has reported a historic increase in both anti-Semitic incidents and anti-Semitic online harassment. As we mourn those lost and search for answers, ADL will remain steadfast in its mission to fight anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it may occur."

"Synagogues and other places of worship are safe havens where communities come together to celebrate, pray, and reflect. What happened today at the Tree of Life Synagogue was a cowardly act of violence fueled by hate and anti-Semitism.

"My prayers are with the victims, their families and friends, the members of the Tree of Life Synagogue, and the city of Pittsburgh. I greatly appreciate the actions of the first responders who tended to the wounded and apprehended the shooter.

"My staff and I will remain in contact with law enforcement and local officials over the course of coming days."

Today was one of the hardest days of my life. As a Pittsburgher, proud member of the Jewish Community, and Chief of Staff of the City. Today, I lost friends- people I had known my whole life. I have friends and family grieving. I have a community struggling with hate and violence. I have heroic first responders who risked their lives to save dozens. I also have the best City in the world behind me. Pittsburgh will always be stronger than hate. We will always build bridges. We will work through this together. Thank you Pittsburgh!

This breaking story is being updated as new details come in. Please refresh the page often for the latest information.

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