Gunman Convicted: All Charges Upheld in Verdict

Gunman Found Guilty for Pittsburgh Synagogue Attack

Robert Bowers, the man responsible for the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, was found guilty on all 63 federal charges related to the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Some of these charges are capital offenses, punishable by death. Bowers had previously pleaded not guilty to the 63 counts, which included hate crimes.

Death Penalty or Life Imprisonment?

The jury deliberated for only five hours over two days before reaching their verdict. Bowers was found guilty on 11 counts of obstructing the exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death, a capital offense. The trial will now move to the penalty phase, during which the same jury will decide whether to sentence Bowers to death or life in prison. A mental health defense is also an option for Bowers’ legal team, and they have 24 hours to submit reports to the court in pursuit of that strategy.

Next Phase of Trial Set for June 26

The court is expected to reconvene on June 26 to proceed with the next phase of Bowers’ trial. Seven people were injured during the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018, in addition to the 11 fatalities. Bowers was armed with an assault rifle and three guns during the attack. His lawyers admitted responsibility for the incident but sought to spare his life, as federal prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty. Bowers had offered to plead guilty in exchange for removing the possibility of the death penalty, but prosecutors rejected this offer.

Emotional Testimonies and Social Media Evidence

During the three-week trial, survivors, family members of the victims, and police officers provided emotional testimonies. Prosecutors also presented evidence of Bowers’ antisemitic social media activity. On the far-right platform Gab, Bowers’ profile stated that “Jews are the children of Satan,” and he posted other offensive content and expressed support for Hitler and the Nazi genocide of Jews. The 11 people killed in the attack were:

• Joyce Fienberg, 75
• Richard Gottfried, 65
• Rose Mallinger, 97
• Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
• Cecil Rosenthal, 59
• David Rosenthal, 54
• Bernice Simon, 84
• Sylvan Simon, 86
• Daniel Stein, 71
• Irving Younger, 69
• Melvin Wax, 87