Pittsburgh synagogue shooter who killed 11 to receive death sentence

The man charged with shooting and killing 11 people inside a Pennsylvania synagogue in 2018 will receive the death sentence, a federal jury decided Wednesday.

Robert Bowers, 50, the gunman who opened fire inside the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018, will likely be sentenced to death for murdering 11 and wounding seven others. The ages of the victims ranged from 45 to 97 years old.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Colville is expected to impose the death penalty following the jury’s unanimous decision. The killer’s official sentence is anticipated to be announced Thursday, NBC News reported.

In June, the same jury found the killer guilty of all 63 criminal counts related to the attack, including hate crimes and obstructing the practice of religion.

In his closing arguments, U.S. attorney Eric Olshan explained that the killer “targeted people solely because of the faith that they chose.”

“Do not be numb to it. Remember what it means,” Olshan stated.

Previous reports claimed that the killer had posted anti-Semitic comments on social media, expressing his hatred for Jewish people.

The gunman reportedly only surrendered after he ran out of ammunition and was shot multiple times by police. He was then transported to a nearby hospital to receive treatment.

At the time, the president of Allegheny General Hospital, Dr. Jeff Cohen, stated that the killer was yelling anti-Semitic statements while being treated for his gunshot wounds.

“He was taken to my hospital and he’s shouting, ‘I want to kill all the Jews!’” Cohen told WJET-TV. “The first three people who took care of him were Jewish.”

The killer’s defense attorney, Judy Clarke, attempted to persuade jurors to opt for a life sentence instead of the death penalty. Clarke claimed the shooter had schizophrenia and committed the heinous attack while experiencing hallucinations and delusion.

“What has happened cannot be undone. We can’t rewind the clock and make it that this senseless crime never happened. All we can do is make the right decision going forward. We are asking you to make the right decision, and that is life,” Clarke stated during her closing argument.

It might take years before the killer’s execution date is set due to the Department of Justice’s moratorium imposed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in July 2021. No executions will be scheduled as the DOJ continues to review its policies and procedures.

“The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States, but is also treated fairly and humanely,” Garland said at the time. “That obligation has special force in capital cases.”

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