Associated Press Blames Shooting Victims, Synagogue’s Open Doors

After President Trump blamed the congregation at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were shot and killed by an anti-Semitic gunman on Saturday, for not having armed guards, The Associated Press followed suit. In a tweet, the AP insinuated that the victims were somehow responsible for the attack by leaving the sanctuary doors unlocked, critics said.

Some social media users said that the tweet, which said that the shooter, Robert Gregory Bowers, “exploited doors that were unlocked,” unfairly blamed the victims.

Why even include the doors in this headline? What’s wrong with your editors to allow this? What kind of victim blaming nonesense is this?

— spunky girl sidekick, MLIS. (@mrsgeedeck) October 28, 2018

ah yes, it was unlocked doors that did murder, not a person with a mass killing device and an ideology of hate

— 17 Spooky Years Of Forever War (@AthertonKD) October 28, 2018

“exploited doors that were unlocked”

As a child, the “the doors of the church are open” meant safety and community. As a teen/adult, it meant forgiveness and the responsibility to protect, love, and care for others.

I guess this is what terrorism does. Exploit unlocked doors. https://t.co/fL4A2wOUps

— Dr. G is in Research Mode (@AmeliaNGibson) October 28, 2018

The article the AP tweet was referencing also included a mention of unlocked doors, which was later removed. The article originally read: “During the week, anyone who wanted to get inside Tree of Life synagogue had to ring the doorbell and be granted entry by staff because the front door was kept locked. Not so on Saturday—the Jewish Sabbath—when the building was open for worship.” This carried the implication that perhaps the congregation members could have saved themselves.

Trump said Saturday: “If they had protection inside, the results would have been far better. If they had some kind of protection within the temple it could have been a much better situation. They didn’t. … This is a case where if they had an armed guard inside they may have been able to stop him immediately, maybe there would have been nobody killed, except for him maybe.”

Trump is victim blaming Jewish victims of the Pittsburgh massacre. Nauseating. https://t.co/ulRcgdKUdK

— Owen Jones