‘This Is Us’ Pays Tribute to Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Victims
This week’s episode of This Is Us may not have have had the most emotional storyline off the season, but it was special for another reason — it paid tribute to the victims of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting.
On October 27 in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh, 11 people were slain by anti-Semitic shooter Robert Bowers, leaving the community and those around the world heartbroken by the sudden and tragic losses. The victims ranged in age from 54 to 97 and included a doctor who treated HIV/AIDS victims, among other patients.
Needless to say, creator Dan Fogelman and the rest of the show’s cast and crew were impacted by the event because, during the credits, a touching title card scrolled across screen, reading, “Our hearts are broken. We stand with our television hometown of Pittsburgh,” it stated. “To learn more about ending gun violence, visit everytown.org.”
As This Is Us fans know, the Pearsons’ story takes place in Pittsburgh for much of the show — and they’re diehard Steelers fans. The gesture didn’t end there, though, as Fogelman and the cast took to social media to spread the message.
Susan Kelechi Watson, Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan, and Fogelman all acknowledged the shooting while promoting ways to support the affected community.
The end card from tonight’s episode. @Everytown #ThisIsUs pic.twitter.com/K88NY3hoAV
— Dan Fogelman (@Dan_Fogelman) October 31, 2018
We 💗 you, Pittsburgh. #PittsburghStrong @Everytown https://t.co/6zMYfamU16
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) October 31, 2018
To learn more about ending gun violence, please visit https://t.co/1Hbv1mV6Ti.@everytown #ThisIsUs https://t.co/A60XeVmjdB
— Susan Kelechi Watson (@skelechiwatson) October 31, 2018
Pittsburgh is our #ThisIsUs hometown. If you’d like to donate to Victims of Terror Fund to support the Pittsburgh community, please text:
JEWISHPGH to 41444
— Dan Fogelman (@Dan_Fogelman) October 31, 2018
JEWISHPGH to 41444. Texting now https://t.co/xRAOLpmpsi
— Justin Hartley (@justinhartley) October 31, 2018
This Is Us, Tuesdays, 9/8c, NBC
