A federal Jury decided on Wednesday that Robert Bowers, the convicted gunman who killed 11 and injured seven at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018, will receive the death penalty for his actions, The New York Times reported
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd August, 2023) A Federal Jury decided on Wednesday that Robert Bowers, the convicted gunman who killed 11 and injured seven at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018, will receive the death penalty for his actions, The New York Times reported.
Prosecutors had argued that Bowers, 50, was fueled by hatred when defiled a place of worship, entering the synagogue during Shabbat services on the morning of October 27, 2018 and opening fire on worshippers with an AR-15 rifle, the report said. The act constituted one of the deadliest antisemitic attacks in US history.
In January 2019, Bowers was charged in a 63-count superseding indictment including 13 violations of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, according to the Justice Department. Bowers pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The indictment specifically alleged that Bowers willfully caused bodily injury to the deceased and surviving victims because of their actual and perceived religion.
In June of this year, the same jury found Bowers guilty on 63 charges and determined that he was eligible for the death penalty for his actions.
Jurors began deliberating on Tuesday morning and delivered the vote, which was unanimous, on Wednesday afternoon. A sentencing hearing, where Bowers will be given the death penalty formally by the judge, is scheduled for tomorrow morning in the same Pittsburgh courtroom, the report said.
The jury's decision marks the first time a Biden administration prosecutor successfully wins a death penalty case.
