US prosecutors slapped the gunman who killed 11 people in a synagogue with 29 counts of federal crimes of violence and firearms offences on Saturday after he carried out the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in recent US history.

The charges against the shooter, Robert Bowers, include 11 counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death; and 11 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during a crime of violence, the US Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania said in a statement.

“The crimes of violence are based upon the federal civil rights laws prohibiting hate crimes,” the statement said.