The man accused of shooting dead 11 people inside a Pittsburgh synagogue, an incident described by prosecutors as “an horrific act of violence”, has appeared in court in a wheelchair where 29 charges were read to him aloud.

Robert Bowers, 46, who is said to have written a number of racist and antisemitic social media posts, was wheeled into the court in handcuffs and was asked if he understood the charges levelled against him.

Mr Bowers, dressed in a blue shirt, briefly had the handcuffs removed, so he could sign legal documents. The judge then read to him, the two-and-half dozen charges he faces.

Speaking from the White House just after the hearing, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders called it an "act of evil".

“This atrocity was a chilling act of mass murder, it was an act of hatred, and above all, it was an act of evil. Antisemitism is is a plague to humanity and it is responsible for many of the worst horrors in human history,” Ms Sanders said.

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Ms Sanders announced that President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to Pennsylvania tomorrow to grieve with the community.

The brief hearing in a packed courtroom, came just two days after Mr Bowers allegedly entered the Tree of Life synagogue in the city’s Squirrel Tree neighbourhood, armed with three hand guns and a semi-automatic rifle.

He is accused of killing eight men and three women - aged 54 to 97 - and injuring six others, among them four police officers who shot and detained him. Prosecutors said they are treating the incident as a hate crime and have requested permission to seek the death penalty if Mr Bowers is convicted.

After the hearing, US Attorney Scott Brady told reporters prosecutors the court had ordered the suspect to appear for a preliminary hearing on Thursday in relation to the “horrific act of violence”.

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