On October 27 around 10 a.m. police arrived at the Tree of Life synagogue where they came in contact with shooter Robert Bowers, who opened fire on both the people celebrating inside and the police officers who responded to the 911 call. This resulted in eleven people being killed and six injured, including three law enforcement officers. Attorney General Jeff Sessions commented on the shooting, saying the killings were “reprehensible and utterly repugnant to the values of this nation.”

     The shooting has been deemed a ‘hate crime’ by federal officers because of the direct targeting of the people inside based on their religion. This resulted in an FBI investigation to gather evidence that can be used to charge the shooter with civil rights charges, possibly causing him to face life in prison or even the death sentence.

     Bowers appeared in court on October 31 where he pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial. Following the appearance, many protests broke out around the country and the area around the synagogue became overwhelmed with flowers and people praying for those who passed.