On behalf of the entire membership of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and with a heavy heart, I extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, who are now being laid to rest. I also extend our sincerest sympathies to the families of the victims who were gunned down outside a grocery store in Kentucky.

Make no mistake. What transpired are hate crimes, pure and simple, against a Jewish community at prayer and against people simply running errands. As more is revealed about the perpetrator of the horrific act of violence in Pittsburgh, and his postings on social media sites are identified, we are learning that vitriolic rhetoric very likely incited his heinous act.