NRA warns about 2 Jewish, 1 Catholic 'gun grabbers' day after Pittsburgh synagogue shooting

Memorial outside Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 29 October 2018

On Saturday, a 46-year-old gunman with three pistols, an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, and a history of virulently anti-Semitic posts on social media murdered 11 Jewish congregants at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, telling police after he was wounded, "I just want to kill Jews," according to a criminal complaint released Sunday.

Later on Sunday, the National Rifle Association posted a get-out-the-vote message targeting former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, and the Democratic leaders of Congress, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.). Schumer and Bloomberg are Jewish (Pelosi is Catholic); Bloomberg, while not a candidate for any office this year, is a prominent proponent of tougher gun laws.

"You don't want the Bloomberg/Schumer/Pelosi extreme gun control agenda in charge of the fate of your right to self-defense," the NRA tweeted Sunday night. "It is critical to get out and #vote — encourage your family, friends, and community to vote too. Every single vote counts." It is possible the tweet was scheduled before the shooting. When House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warned about Tom Steyer, Bloomberg, and a third Jewish Democratic donor, George Soros, last week, he deleted the tweet the next day.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox