The massacre exacerbated fears of a resurgence of far-right extremists and neo-Nazis in the United States. Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
The gunman who carried out the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history when he killed 11 Jewish worshipers in a Pittsburgh synagogue has been sentenced to death.
Robert Bowers, 50, yelled: «All Jews must die!» before the mass shooting on October 27, 2018.
According to federal prosecutors, on Wednesday, 12 jurors unanimously ruled that Bowers should be executed for the fatal assault.
Joe Biden's Justice Department, however, imposed a moratorium on federal executions, so it is not clear if an execution will take place.
Bowers espoused white supremacist beliefs online before methodically planning and carrying out a massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue, where members of three congregations gathered for worship and Sabbath study.
Bowers, a truck driver from suburban Baldwin, also wounded two parishioners and five arriving police officers.
Robert Bowers was found guilty in June on all 63 counts. Photo: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
In June, Bowers was found guilty of all 63 charges against him, including hate crimes leading to murder and attempted murder.
He did not react when the verdict was announced other than a brief confession from his legal team and family when he was taken out of prison. courtroom.
The judge will formally deliver the verdict on Thursday.
The jury concluded that Bowers attacked one of the largest and most historic Jewish communities to «increase the devastation, increase the harm of his crimes, and instill fear in local, national and international Jewish communities.»
They also found that Bowers has no remorse.
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Congregation, who survived the attack, said that «today we received tremendous support from the halls of justice,» he said, taking the jury's decision as proof that that «we have the right to practice our Judaism, and no one will ever take that away from us.»
The family of Rose Mullinger, 97, who died in the attack, and her daughter, Andrea Wedner, who was shot, thanked jurors. and said that «the measure of justice has prevailed.»
Bowers claimed that he was not motivated by hatred of the Jewish people. Photo: Dave Klug/FR 171976
This is a federal death sentence handed down by the Biden administration, which pledged to abolish the death penalty during its 2020 campaign.
Bowers' lawyer Judy Clark declined to comment.
Jewish organizations welcomed the verdict.
Michael Masters, executive director of the Secure Community Network, which advises American Jewish institutions on security issues, said the verdict became «another step towards justice.»
It «sends a signal to violent extremists, terrorists and anti-Semites around the world that the United States will not tolerate hatred and violence against the Jewish people and any believers,» he added in a statement.
American Jewish Committee stated that «there must always be a focus on the memory» of the victims killed by a «cold-blooded Jew-hater.»
«In the end, what matters most is not how the shooter vigorously investigated the case and demonstrated that such crimes will not be encouraged, apologized or downplayed,” the statement said. incidents in the US.
In 2022, a US-based Jewish group recorded 3,697 acts of harassment. , vandalism, and attacks, up 36% from the previous year, the highest since records began in 1979.
According to Pew Research Center 2021 data, there are about six million Jews. research.
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