Friday marks five years since a gunman barged into a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11 congregants in the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. The victims of the attack are being honored.People gathered at Rodef Shalom in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Thursday night to honor the 11 Jewish worshippers killed in the shooting and to push for stronger gun legislation. Personal stories were shared with the goal of collecting those stories and sharing them with state lawmakers.“It’s been five years, and these events are still happening. Look at what just happened in Maine. Good gracious, why is this still happening after five years?” chair of the Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence steering committee Carolyn Ban said.Andrew Volz remembered his friend Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz.“He was a hero. He ran towards the gunfire that day,” Volz said.Rabbi Doris Dyen, a survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, spoke to a room of people who have been impacted by gun violence.“We cannot pray to God to end violence by guns, for we already have the means to make our community safer if we could only commit ourselves to using them,” Dyen said.Each person participating in the service came with personal stories of how gun violence has impacted their lives.Video below: People impacted by gun violence honor Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims, call for stronger gun laws 5 years after attackRichard Carrington, executive director of Voices Against Violence, came to the event to represent Moms Demand Action.“I’ve been to over 220 funerals of young people that I’ve worked with,” Carrington said. “People need to vote and put the right people in office because right now, we are living in a system that just isn't working.”Two bills passed by the Pennsylvania House earlier this year, requiring universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, remain in the state Senate.“The only way to fix that is for the public, and specifically the constituents of those state senators, is to make clear that this is a priority for the safety of our community,” Rep. Arvind Venkat said.The stories shared Thursday night, either written down or recorded on video, will be compiled and sent to state Sen. Lisa Baker, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Robert Bowers, the man convicted in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, was sentenced to death in August 2023.