Robert Bowers, the suspected gunman in the massacre at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, reportedly killed 11 people and wounded six others when he entered the place of worship Saturday morning. "All Jews must die!" he reportedly yelled while shooting at random.
Bowers was apparently an avid user on Gab, the "alternative" social media site where many members of the alt-right (including white supremacists) convene. When Andrew Torba, an avid Donald Trump supporter, launched Gab in 2016, people compared it to sites like Facebook and Twitter, but were drawn to the less restricted atmosphere. Unlike on mainstream sites, Gab users could post hate-filled ideologies with abandon.
Unsurprisingly, it's become an echo chamber for the alt-right. Research even backs it up; Gab is essentially a breeding ground for white, male extremism.
Alt-right bloggers including Milo Yiannopoulos and Paul Joseph Watson are popular users on the site. Gab also hosts content from Alex Jones (of InfoWars, conspiracy theory fame), whose material has been banned from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
What connects Bowers and Gab? A profile that seemingly belongs to him had a considerable history on the site. Before entering the synagogue and allegedly committing mass violence, an account that appears to belong to Bowers posted a message, which read: "I can't sit by an watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics. I'm going in."
And this wasn't a one-time sentiment. His profile included many anti-Semitic and anti-refugee comments, as well as conspiracy theories. Since the attack, Gab says they have backed up the data from the suspect's profile and suspended his account.
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