A Pittsburgh police commander was driving past the red-brick home his grandfather had lived in for decades when the first radio call came through: Shots fired at Tree of Life synagogue.
Jason Lando stopped his city-issued Ford Explorer, the damp October leaves clinging to the tires as he radioed a dispatcher. “How many 911 calls did you get on this?” he asked.
Active shooters were rare in Squirrel Hill, but Lando had learned during his decades on the force that an isolated report often meant a false alarm, reports The Washington Post.
Lando floored it, speeding toward Tree of Life.
“My grandfather is inside,” he thought.
As he pulled up, loud cracks of gunfire pierced through the stained-glass entryway.
“We’re under fire,” he shouted into the receiver while shoving the extra magazines he stored in his glove compartment into a pocket.
Shattered shards battered the ground.
Then more shots.
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