Police boost patrols at synagogues after Pittsburgh shooting

PHILADELPHIA (AP/WTXF) - Law-enforcement agencies around the U.S. deployed extra officers at synagogues and Jewish centers on Saturday in response to a shooting that claimed 11 lives at a Pittsburgh synagogue.

Police in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles and other cities said that while they knew of no credible threats against houses of worship in their communities they were stepping up patrols nonetheless.

Authorities say gunman Robert Bowers, a virulent anti-Semite in social media posts, opened fire during a service at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh Saturday morning, killing 11 and wounding six.

"As we continue to monitor the situation in Pittsburgh, we are sending officers to Synagogues and other houses of worship across the city," Philadelphia police tweeted. "We are not aware of any current threats to Philadelphia - but as always - encourage folks to dial 911 with any suspicious information."

MORE: 11 dead, 6 injured in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting | Pope Francis grieves for Jewish victims in Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, called the shooting an "absolute tragedy" in a statement that made reference to calls for tighter gun control laws.

"We must all pray and hope for no more loss of life," Wolf said. "But we have been saying "this one is too many" for far too long. Dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm's way."