Last Saturday, Robert D. Bowers, 46, entered a synagogue and opened fire, killing 11 congregants and wounding six others, including four police officers. Bowers was injured and is charged with 29 criminal counts and a number of state charges, according to the New York Times.

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The attack occurred in Squirrel Hill, a neighborhood in the Pittsburgh area, and is described as the deadliest rampage against the Jewish community in the U.S. Squirrel Hill is home to several synagogues, kosher restaurants and bakeries, and is known as a vibrant Jewish community.

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A 2017 report by Brandeis University about Pittsburgh’s Jewish community found that 70 percent of the Jewish community in the area were little or somewhat concerned about anti-Semitism. Older members of the Jewish community expressed the most fear. The New York Times reported that one-third of those surveyed who were 65 or older said they were concerned. About 50,000 Jewish people live in the Greater Pittsburgh area, according to the report.

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“We simply cannot accept this violence as a normal part of American life,” said Gov. Tom Wolf, according to the New York Times. “These senseless acts of violence are not who we are as Pennsylvanians and are not who we are as Americans.”

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The 11 victims, ranging in age from 54-97, were all integral members of the Tree of Life community who attended every service and were seen as the glue in their community. Suzan Hauptman, who grew up worshiping in the synagogue spoke of David and Cecil Rosenthal, inseparable brothers in their 50’s, as “the ambassadors… they were always there. And they will always be there in our hearts.”

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A fixture of the congregation was 97-year-old Rose Mallinger who attended regularly with her daughter Andrea, who was injured in the shooting. Brian Schreiber, the president of the Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh called Mallinger a “vivacious 97-year-old… she was just so full of life. She had so much energy.”

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The New York Times reported that Attorney General Jeff Sessions explained that federal criminal charges brought by the Justice Department “could lead to the death penalty.”

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This shooting is accompanied by a rise in anxiety in the national dialogue regarding immigrants and refugees. The New York Times reported that there has been a surge in hate crimes over the last decade and a report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said that the number of anti-semitic incidents in the U.S. increased by 57 percent in 2017. This is the largest increase over a single year since the ADL started tracking the crimes in 1979.

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Bowers was prominent on the social media network, Gab. The site’s claim to fame is its self-proclaimed protections of free speech. The account that is believed to belong to Bowers was filled with anti-Jewish slurs and conspiracy theories. The website has now been taken down, after the domain provider GoDaddy informed them of their violation of the terms of service, but the platform continues to search for a new host.

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In response, many have spoken out against hate, whether that be politicians, celebrities, editorial boards, sports teams, or average people.

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“We send our thoughts and prayers to those affected by this morning’s tragedy in Pittsburgh,” the Pittsburgh Steelers released in a statement. “We will continue to pray for everyone involved.”

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President Trump also released a statement, saying, “This evil Anti-Semitic attack is an assault on humanity. It will take all of us working together to extract the poison of Anti-Semitism from our world. We must unite to conquer hate.”

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Vigils were held over the weekend and are continuing to be held all over the world. Funerals and memorials for the victims are occurring over the coming week.