Who is Robert Bowers? Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooter sentenced to death for killing 11 people
Story highlights
The federal court convicted Robert Bowers on 16 June 2023, nearly five years after the shooting. The date of Robert Bowers' federal execution is 2 August 2023. The bar will reconvene on 4 August 2023 to formally hand down the federal execution.
A federal jury sentenced Robert Bowers for killing 11 people at Pittburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018. It was the first federal death penalty under US President Joe Biden's tenure.
On 27 October 2018, Robert Bowers, a truck driver, walked into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and shot 11 worshippers. He then surrendered to the police after he was shot and wounded.
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The court charged Robert Bowers, then 46, with 63 federal counts, including 11 each of obstruction of free exercise of religion and hate crime resulting in death.
The federal court convicted him on all counts on 16 June 2023, nearly five years after the shooting. The date of Robert Bowers' federal execution is 2 August 2023. The bar will reconvene on 4 August 2023 to formally hand down the federal execution.
Robert Bowers Posted Antisemitic Comments Online
According to the investigators, months before the shooting, Bowers was sharing bigoted and antisemitic comments online. He posted racist memes, called immigrants 'invaders' and accused the Jewish community of being enemies of the white people. He posted a message to a web forum on the day of the shooting. It said, "I can't stand by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics. I'm going in."
Police found 21 weapons registered to Robert Bowers' name. They also reviewed Bowers' online presence on Gab, a free speech-oriented, right-wing social media platform. He posted several hate comments on Gab, and his bio said, "Jews are the children of Satan." His posts included anti-Jewish slurs and conspiracy theories, reported New York Times.
'I just want to kill Jews,' said Bowers
After being shot and wounded at the synagogue, Robert Bowers said, "These people are committing genocide on my people. I just want to kill Jews." His defence argued that the quotation should've been barred from consideration at his trial, saying he made the statement before reading his Miranda warning. However, a judge denied the motion.
According to court records, the defence filed a notice of mental infirmity, claiming Bowers had schizophrenia and epilepsy. His attorneys also offered a paid deal in exchange for the death penalty removal, but prosecutors did not accept the offer. However, the prosecution's expert witness, Dr Park Dietz, said Bowers suffered no delusions that would've called into question his intent to kill the worshippers at the synagogue.
(With inputs from agencies)
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