and i'm going to carry that with me. good morning everybody. i'm david gura in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, one block from a synagogue massacre that left this community in pain and searching for answers. we'll bring you the latest on the events that unfolded here as we continue to learn more into the investigation and the actions of the gunman who is facing dozens of federal charges, to the victims and the loved ones stunned by what happened in this close-knit enclave. comments and tweets about the attack as the commander in chief is again called upon to be the comforter in chief.

he told reporters he plans to visit here although the president has not said when. first, new this morning, police activity in the overnight hours here in pittsburgh. federal agents searching the home of the suspect in yesterday's deadly attack on a synagogue here. agents from the fbi, atf and bomb squad converging on an apartment in baldwin, pennsylvania, overnight. that raid hours after fbi agents reportedly interviewed the suspect. agents describing him to nbc news as pure evil. 11 people were killed and six wounded in what was a 20-minute shooting spree. among them, eight men and three women. also last night, vigils and prayers for this community. hundreds braving rain in pittsburgh to show their solidarity and to express their condolences and gathered in front of the white house to denounce hate. the flag flying at half-staff after president trump signed a proclamation honoring the victims of the attack. the president making a subdued

appearance in southern illinois. for the most part, stay away from heated rhetoric. >> this evil anti-semitic attack is an assault on all of us. it's an assault on humanity. it will require all of us working together to extract the hateful poison of anti-semitism from our world. this was the anti-semitic attack at its worst. >> meanwhile, the u.s. attorney here in the western district of pennsylvania announcing 29 federal charges against the suspect, robert bowers. including hate crimes charges. ron mott has more now on how the events unfolded. >> every available unit in the city needs to get here now. >> shots rang out just before 10:00 a.m. >> we're under fire. we're under fire. >> the chaos unfolding at the

tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh. the community ordered to shelter in place. >> do not come out of your home right now. it is not safe. >> as many as 100 people were inside. members gathered for the saturday service in a baby naming ceremony. >> we're pinned down by gunfire. in front of the building with an automatic weapon. >> dozens of local police and s.w.a.t. teams rushed to the scene. the shooter was leaving the synagogue when confronted by police. he barricaded himself inside armed with an assault rifle and handguns. >> we have the suspect -- >> he surrendered an hour later. law enforcement officers shaken by what they saw. >> it's a very horrific crime scene. it's one of the worst i've seen. it's very bad. >> loved ones in disbelief. a city in shock. >> it's just a really surreal experience. when something that we know takes place in other places, so random strikes so close to home, it's horrific. >> 11 dead, six injured,

including four police officers. authorities are identifying the shooter as 46-year-old rob bowers and say this was a hate crime. >> members of the tree of life synagogue conducting a peaceful service in their place of worship were brutally murdered by a gunman targeting them simply because of their faith. >> bowers' social media -- >> whether you're jewish or not, we're all here. hopefully we can support each other through this. >> the fbi now investigating his background and what led bowers to attack the synagogue. ron mott, nbc news, pittsburgh. my colleague matt bradley a couple miles from here at the university of pittsburgh medical center. what are we hearing about the survivors. i mentioned a police complaint a couple minutes ago. >> reporter: that's right, david. the six survivors -- we don't know the state of their condition right now, just like we don't know the identity of

the victims. david, that's what we're waiting to play out today. more details about those 11 people killed. just in the last couple of minutes we heard that three of them were women, eight of them were men among those 11 who were killed. that's a huge number for a community as small as squirrel hill. i was there last night at one of the candlelight vigils as you mentioned. it was a wrenching ceremony. there were probably a thousand people of all faiths who came together at a presbyterian church right in the center of squirrel hill. they were singing, they were praying. at times they were even cheering in sort of a show of defiancdef. but this whole thing was organized by high school students trying to reclaim this moment and trying to say that we're going to move on from here. we're proud of our community. this very small jewish enclave in the middle of pittsburgh. david? >> matt, when might we learn more about the victims and about what happened?

i gather there will be another press conference, media availability later this morning. >> later on this morning, i think around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., we're going to hear again from authorities. we're expecting to hear more information then. then we'll probably start to hear more and more victims. these are going to be jewish funerals. that will be happening in very short order after the death. traditionally, in the next day or two. those names are going to start to come out. we're going to start to hear from the family members. we're going to start to get more information about the people who were affected. like i said, david, this goes beyond the people who with killed and injured. this really affects this entire community. it was a body blow, david. >> absoluteabsolutely. my colleague in pittsburgh, we'll be checking with him throughout the morning at pittsburgh medical center now to an inside account from a former rabbi at the tree of life synagogue. he spoke to several inside the synagogue during the shooting.

he's giving us the first account of likely what happened once the shooting started. he sat down with miguel alma gur. >> i spoke to a few people who got out. the maintenance man was shaken. he ran into one of our regulars who opened the synagogue. he was always welcoming people. he would have been in the back of the chapel greeting people as they came in. i heard he was killed. >> they told me that they heard loud noises at first and then heard gunshots, gunpowder. i guess a couple guys ran down to see what was going on and a couple headed for the doors. they got out. some people told me they came late and they -- as they came, they got out of their car and were told to go back home. as he came in through the front door, which was unlocked and he probably went downstairs first to the new light synagogue which worships in the basement there. i heard some people were killed

there. i was with the wife of one man whob she hadn't heard from. and another man who was killed. then he probably made his way upstairs and, i guess, as he was at the chapel, he shot some people at chapel. then any more i can't tell you. >> then he had a confrontation with police. >> i believe he was leaving when the police came and i have to say, the first responders were great. >> former rabbi speaking to my colleague be miguel allmaguer. >> we're going to talk about what's going on with the investigation. give us your sense of what's happening. late last night we got a statement from the lead investigators on this outlining the charges they're going to bring at the federal level. what are investigators doing at this point? >> if we know right now, this is

one of about 363 u.s. citizens, u.s. countries be, cities across the country that have had to fly flags at half-mast. we had about 363 mass shootings, more and more people shot at one time. unfortunately, we're learning to do this very well. i understand the fbi interviewed him, suggested he was pure evil. this was someone who was going on the internet, who was making terrible anti-semitic statements. he did not like donald trump. he didn't like the red ball cap. he wasn't going to support trump. he didn't have a political affiliation listed in that community. but this is someone who had planned shall realized he had 21 firearms in his house. he methodically chose an assault rifle and three hand guns, we're told by the fbi, to take with him, leaving all the other weapons too. but once he got in that church,

he became a killing machine. he even wrote on the internet, he was going in almost like a military veteran going in to fight a war. he was going in to fight this war that went on inside of his mind. his neighbors describe him as a loner. he was never around anyone. never talked to anyone. so you can just imagine the dark mass that made up this guy's brain and perhaps the pipe bombs this week may have been the idea, the final trigger. so he would a-ha, now i know what i too will be doing. so the authorities will be looking at him and his communication devices, internet messages. is there anyone who helped him in planning in this? they have a lot of footwork still to do. >> the suspect is alive as you know. he was brought to a hospital yesterday reportedly in stable condition this morning. what's the approach going to be from investigators toward him as this investigation continues? >> well, one assumes at this

point that he's availed himself of his right to have an attorney which we all do. so at this time i would assume any good attorney would not let investigators talk to their client at this point. you've got so many witnesses inside. you've got so much physical evidence. you've got the s.w.a.t. officer who was involved with the shootout with them and then finally negotiated him to surrender. as he surrenders, as he lays down his gun, he makes a statement that i have to kill all jews. well, that's obviously another statement that links him to this crime. we're going to see this terrible man who lived in this dark section of his own mind who chose that day, that time to flip the murder switch inside of his head and then he carried it out. >> that comment you just referenced is something that is in the complaint from the police that we saw a few moments ago. clint, you referred to the

despicable soup of commentary we're making our way through that was left on social media. how do investigators approach that and look at what he's written? how does that affect this investigation? >> well, it's a lot when they look at premeditation. when they look at planning on his part. we know the history of school shooters, or violence in workplace shooters that they normally don't do the proverbial snap. that there's a buildup. they acquire weapons, they put down what their target is going to be. there's a path from ideation from they first think of it to action when they finally act out. that's what the authorities will be looking for. what was that pathway that he moved on, how did he facilitate that? how do he make his choice and was there anyone who either helped him acquire weapons, who knew he was planning this? he is on an internet site.

he was saying terrible things on that site to people that might have picked up on that. one more time that tells us words do have power and words do convey the potential for violence. we need to consider words like that in the future and that's when you tell the police, let them deal with it. >> our focus on the darkest corners of the dark web. clint van zandt joining us. thanks, i appreciate it. one of the confirmation of deaths came from an unusual source, the president's twitter feed. a look at his had proech to these types of tragedies coming up. the story of one man's phone call that never gets picked up and the fears that follow.

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kept going through and he wasn't picking up. it is a nightmare right now. it's kind of a fog. i've been touched by a lot of people, social media. it's hard right now. >> reporter: that was the nephew of 71-year-old dan stein. his family believes he's one of the victims of yesterday's synagogue shooting. he went to tree of life alone and his family has been unable to reach him. cory o'connor is a city council

member and so is erica strasburger. let me start with you. this is part of your district. you represent it. what have you heard from community members since yesterday? >> obviously, we're all still in shock. you see this across the country and you never think it's going to happen. the one thing i will say, this community is very close-knit. the support that we've seen over the last couple of hours is unbelievable. squirrel hill one of the more diverse communities you will find. whether it's -- we have different ethnicities and races and religions and backgrounds coming together. they're going to have support for the next couple weeks and months. >> erica, i want to ask you about the role of this. it's up the hill. what role does it play in the squirrel hill community? >> it's one of the many jewish synagogues in squirrel hill. there are many different types of synagogues. it's a very special place because it actually houses three different jewish congregations on saturday mornings.

yesterday we believe that three different congregations were meeting inside. it's a symbol for the rest of the squirrel hill community. a tight-knit, welcoming, open arms, open doors kind of community. that's a special place that squirrel hill is. that's why i chose to live here. it's incredibly sad and tragic today. >> erica, walk us through what happened yesterday. what happened after you heard about it. >> i was actually getting ready to speak at a canvassing launch party and saw police barricades and then got the message two blocks up the street that a shooting had occurred at tree of life. we hunkered down and as soon as i could, i joined councilmember o'connor and other leaders at the scene to be as close as possible, get as accurate information as possible and disseminate that out. several press blefgs later, we got the full story. >> help us understand the degree

to which local, state and federal law enforcement worked together. this happened very quickly and the response is very fast as well. >> within minutes. i got a call, i live a couple blocks from here. parked at my aunt's house and my cousins were walking down the street. everything was barricaded off. state troopers were here. countywide officials were here. the fbi was here immediately. i can tell you that on a saturday in squirrel hill, you have thousands of people walking, the business district not far. if responders weren't so fast at getting there, that maniac was out the door. who knows what damage would have been done. our officers did an amazing job, putting your own life at risk. it's something that takes a lot of courage. that's what they showed. >> walk me through the response from a community perspective. my colleague matt bradley at the medical center said there was one big vigil yesterday. what have we seen? >> we've seen an outcry for

change. that's much needed across the country. you'll see more vigils today, another rally at 5:00 in oakland today. there's going to be more and more support for not only this synagogue but for the whole community. >> erica, speak about your role after this. you live here in this community. how do you see your role going forward? how do you dovetail the two things. being a resident and a city council person. >> i too, live about three blocks from where this occurred, i am ingrained in the community. i know people of the community -- as more and more names are released, we'll learn of more and more affected. all i can say is that those affected have the support of their neighbors. this is mr. rogers neighborhood, truly. >> literally. it literally is. we've seen neighbors come out in droves. not just from pittsburgh. not just from squirrel hill, but literally from around the world. i want to keep that momentum

going. i want to make sure those affected who will be dealing with the aftermath for days, weeks, months as they drive-by the location, as they enter their synagogues next week and experience that trauma, that they know they have the support of not only city council and our leaders but their neighbors throughout the region and the world. >> on that point, where we go from here? >> pittsburgh is a very strong community. it's proud. we take care of our fellow pittsburghers. you're going to see an outpouring of love and support the next few weeks. then it starts at city council level a bigger conversation that not only pittsburgh has to have but all cities across the country. we can't deal with this anymore. >> thanks both of you. appreciate it. thank you very much for the time. >> a day that left the country stunned and a day of mourning, the president had puzzling moments of leavivity at a rally.

what the president said and reaction to that coming up next. the sun comes up. the sun goes down. you did a million things for your family today. but speaking to pnc to help handle all your investments was a very important million and one. pnc. make today the day.

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we have to stop it. our leaders have to stop it. it takes leadership to stop this. our leaders are not stopping it. it's too much. we're a civilized society. we have to stay civilized. >> linda martin who attended the vigil in pittsburgh as the community tries to cope with the synagogue shooting. joining me is reporter aaron martin. you live about an hour from here. you responded very quickly when you learned what was happening. walk us through the day yesterday. what the scene was like here in the aftermath of that attack. >> it was really incredible. i only live a mile from here. i got the call almost immediately to come into work and see what was going on at the time. we had heard rumblings. we knew it was an active shooter. when i got down here, i saw one of the most chaotic things i've seen. in a neighborhood that's normally quiet. as i'm sure you reported,

there's a large jewish community that lives here, a lot of people walking around, going to services. it was incredible to see the police presence and the absolute chaos that seemingly went on for hours. >> you spent a good deal of time talking to people who live here about what happened, their reaction to what happened. what did they say about the significant sans of it to this community. how they rackeacted to it. >> you can't keep thinking it won't happen where you live. this is an example that it can happen anywhere. it's cliche and said over and over again. that's what they said. it was the shock that kg could happen at a synagogue like this, known for having three separate congregation that is meet regularly. there was the baby naming ceremony going on, a brings as well. obviously, it took a dark turn. >> you watched that police activity unfold in real time. what did it look like? help us understand the magnitude

of that facing what we're learning what was happening. >> sure. in a general situation, a shooting or something like that, you're going to see a large police presence. this is something i had never seen before being not only working here but living here. there was cars filling all of the streets, whether on murray avenue, about two blocks from here, on wilkins where the synagogue is. it was the exact same thing. s.w.a.t. was running in and out. it wasn't a situation where it's calm trying to figure out what happened. it was panic. that includes from investigators. they're trying to get there and figure out what was going on and save as many people as possible. >> aaron, you can spend five minutes in this neighborhood and everybody will tell you it's close-knit, a tight community. hem me understand the community in the greater context of pittsburgh. >> pittsburgh is a diverse city and one that means a lot to me. i grew up here. i think what sets this neighborhood apart is just the cultures that come together. obviously, there's a large jewish community here. there's so many different ethnicities and religions that

are here that worship together, that live together that are neighbors. everybody is walking around all the time. it is a true walking community. so especially on a saturday morning, you're going to see all different kinds of types of people that are out and that are together. i think that's what hits so hard about this. these are people that you see on the streets every day. something you don't see in a lot of communities anymore. >> thank you very much. appreciate the time. thanks for the reporting as well. invaluable as well. if you're just joining us at the half hour, the latest now on the synagogue massacre. a new vigil is planned for later today in pittsburgh after the worst anti-semitic attack in u.s. history left 11 dead and six injured when a gunman opened fire on a service at the tree of life synagogue, a block from where i'm standing here on squirrel hill in pittsburgh. clouds of people gathered to honor the people at candlelight vigils. the identities of the individuals have not been released. prosecutors arrested robert bowers. a