Robert Bowersāthe 46-year-old man who opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in an attack that left 11 dead and six injuredāreportedly made anti-Semitic statements on a social media website that has become a haven for white nationalists, neo-Nazis and other extremists, according to the New York Times.
The social media siteāGabāis reportedly interested in what the company calls an “underserved” segment of the population: “conservative, libertarian, nationalist, and populist internet users” fed up with mainstream social media networks censoring “conservative views,” according to Philly.com.
In his last post to the social media website, Bowers reportedly said, “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”
The social media site said in a statement, “We are saddened and disgusted by the news of violence in Pittsburgh and are keeping the families and friends of all victims in our thoughts and prayers.”
The company said further that their mission is to “defend free expression and individual liberty online for all people.”
According to The Hill, Bowers told police officers that he wanted all Jews to die because they were “committing genocide to his people.”
Federal authorities have filed a total of 29 charges against Bowers, including hate crimes and weapons offenses. Bowersāwho suffered multiple gunshot wounds in a gun battle with responding police officersāremains in a hospital where he is listed in fair condition.
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