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Vigil Held on Boston Common for Pittsburgh Shooting Victims

Sunday's event started at 2 p.m. at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common

A vigil was held in Boston Sunday for the victims of the Pennsylvania synagogue shooting.

Eleven people were killed and four police officers were injured when a 46-year-old man armed with an assault rifle opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Saturday morning, the Jewish Sabbath.

Authorities identified the 11 victims Sunday morning, saying they ranged in age from from 54 to 97 and included brothers and a husband and wife.

"When an act of violence takes place in a house of worship it impacts every single person," said Robert Trestan, executive director of Anti-Defamation League of New England. "When we go to a synagogue, to a church or to a mosque we consider them to be safe places. Suddenly those places that seem to be safe make us the most vulnerable."

Sunday's event started at 2 p.m. at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh addressed the crowd.

"We're standing here today to fight back on what's happening," Walsh said to the gathering.

Baker said, "I do believe, as I'm sure you do as well, that good always triumphs over evil."

Baker also tweeted a photo of the vigil, saying in part, "The Commonwealth stands with the Tree of Life Synagogue family and the entire Pittsburgh community."

Sen. Ed Markey also addressed the crowd Sunday, saying, "More guns are not the answer."

Other speakers who attended included Congressman Joe Kennedy, Treasurer Debra Goldberg, Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Jeremy Burton of the Jewish Community Relations Council, Shayk Yasir Fahmy of the ISBCC, Anthony Barsamian of the Mass Council of Churches, Rev. Liz Walker of Roxbury Presbyterian Church, Consul General of Israel to New England Ze’ev Boker, Marc Baker of CJP and Trestan.

The vigil was held by the CJP, JCRC, the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, and the ADL.

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