Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto Responds To Trump's Comments On Armed Guards In Synagogues
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is responding to President Donald Trump's call for armed guards in places of worship.
Saturday morning 46-year-old Robert Bowers allegedly used four guns, including an AR-15, to kill 11 people and injured 6 more, including four police officers, at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
Speaking following the shooting on Saturday, President Trump said: "If they had some kind of protection inside the temple, maybe it could have been a much different situation. But they didn't and he was able to do things that unfortunately he shouldn't have been able to do."
During a press conference Sunday morning, Peduto spoke about why he believes armed guards are not the answer.
"I've heard the Presidents comment about how we should arm guards in our synagogues, our churches, our mosques," said Peduto. "I've heard the conversation over the past year about how we should arm security guards in our schools."
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Peduto says that the guards aren't the issue, the behavior is.
"We're dealing with irrational behavior. There is no way you can rationalize a person walking into a synagogue during services and taking the lives of 11 people," said Peduto "We shouldn't be trying to find ways to minimize the dangers that occur from irrational behavior. We should be working to eliminate irrational behavior and the empowerment of people who would seek to cause this type of carnage from continuing."
Every mass shooting in America one thing that is the same, according to Peduto: guns. Taking weapons out of the hands of the hands who are looking to do harm is the goal of the mayor.
"I think the approach that we need to be looking at is how we take the guns, which is the common denominator of every mass shooting in America, out of the hands of those who are looking to express hatred through murder," said Peduto.
The mayor closed on a note thanking people around the world for their support during what he called the "darkest time for Pittsburgh."
"The outpouring love and support for Pittsburgh is incredibly appreciated during this time," said Peduto.
