PARKWAY WEST COMING FROM CHURCHILL THE ENTIRE JURY IN THE SHOOTING TRIAL AT THE PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE COULD DECIDE ASAP. ROBERT BOWERS IS ACCUSED OF KILLING 11 JEWISH believers from three communities. PENS IS BACK AT THE TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE IN SQUIRREL HILL ON OCTOBER 27, 2018 AND THE JURY BEGIN DELIBERATIONS YESTERDAY, AFTER NEARLY THREE WEEKS OF EMOTIONAL WITNESSING FROM VICTIMS AND FIRST HEROES. Bowers has a total of 63 charges, all related to the shooting. The jury must go through each of these points and then come to a unanimous decision. Yesterday, prosecutor Mary Hahn retraced the shooter’s steps that day and showed the jury how he had to walk past the bodies to continue his hunt for more victims. Hahn added that many of the victims were in their 70’s, 8’s and 90’s. She says they were targeted for religious reasons. DEFENSE ATTORNEY ELISA LANGE TOLD THE JURY THAT THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION THE DEFENSE CAN PROVIDE FOR THE VICTIMS’ PAIN, HORROR AND FEAR. She argued that the jury should focus on the defendant’s intentions. LONG SAID HE DID NOT KILL OUT OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, BUT BECAUSE HE FELT NEEDED TO KILL JEWISH PEOPLE FOR HELPING BRING IN IMMIGRANTS AND BECAUSE HE DOESN’T GO ON REFUGEES. He wasn’t after people who helped with the resettlement. He was after –, –. This was the worst anti-Semitic act in United States history. may it never be repeated. Deliberations will resume at 9:00 this morning. If Bowers is found guilty, the trial will move to the penalty phase. YOU CAN STAY WITH PITTSBURGH’S ACTION ON NEWS FOUR FOR CONTINUED COVERAGE OF THE TRIAL. Our total protection can also be four
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting: Jury resumes deliberations
The case is now in the hands of the jury.
Updated June 16, 2023 9:40 am EDT
The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial is now in the hands of the jury. Action News 4 reporter Bob Mayo from Pittsburgh tweets from federal court. Follow his coverage below. WARNING: Some of the testimonies may be graphic. Editor’s Note: Some of the testimonies described below may be illustrative for some readers. The jury returned Friday to continue deliberations. The deliberations began at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. The jury heard closing arguments from the prosecution and defense and a rebuttal of the prosecution. Prosecutor Mary Hahn told jurors that Robert Bowers turned a holy place of worship into a hunting ground. She asked the jury to hold Bowers accountable for everything he did to the survivors and the 11 people he killed Pictures of their bodies in the synagogue. She argued that the victims were targeted because of their religion. When Bowers surrendered to police, Hahn said it wasn’t because he changed his mind, but because he ran out of ammunition. Hahn said Bowers boasted to police that he did it on his own, saying that “all Jews must die”. “Prosecutors in the US said that everyone has a right to worship, but no one has the right to enter a place of worship and kill believers for their beliefs.” Defense attorney Elisa Long recognized the victims’ pain, horror and fear and said the loss was immeasurable and the defense offered no justification for it. She further argued that the jury should focus on Bowers’ intent, saying he did not kill because of the victims’ religious beliefs but because of his own thoughts about immigration. She referenced his obsession with HIAS, a Jewish organization that provides services to immigrant refugees. While acknowledging that Bowers’ thoughts were nonsensical and illogical, she said Bowers made a connection in his mind between Jews and immigrants, whom he viewed as invaders. Long said it was clear Bowers felt he had to kill Jews for helping bring immigrants here. She said there was no doubt that Bowers expressed his hatred of Jews on Gab, a far-right social media site, but that it was not his intention to interfere with their attendance at services. In counterargument, US Attorney for Western Pennsylvania Eric Olshan told the jury that Bowers expressed his hatred of Jews and said it was his reason for killing. He argued that the jury should take Bowers at his word. He asked where Bowers went that day, to an immigrant resettlement area, to the borders, to HIAS headquarters? Olshan said no; He walked to Squirrel Hill, the center of the Jewish universe in Pittsburgh, to the Tree of Life synagogue building that Saturday morning during services. Olshan told the jury if someone goes to a place of worship and worshipers with an AR-15 interfere with their free worship.
The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial is now in the hands of the jury.
Action News 4 reporter Bob Mayo in Pittsburgh tweets from federal court. Follow his coverage below. WARNING: Some statements may be illustrative
This content is imported from Twitter. You may find the same content in a different format or more information on the site.
Editor’s Note: Some of the testimonies described below may be illustrative for some readers.
The jury returned Friday to continue their deliberations.
The deliberations began at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. The jury heard closing arguments from the prosecution and defense and counterargument from the prosecution.
Prosecutor Mary Hahn told jurors Robert Bowers turned a holy place of worship into a hunting ground. She asked the jury to hold Bowers accountable for everything he did to the survivors and the 11 people he killed.
The prosecution led the jury through the murders while Bowers walked through the synagogue, showed the jury photos of the victims in life, and then showed the pictures of their bodies in the synagogue.
She argued that the victims were targeted because of their religion. When Bowers surrendered to police, Hahn said it was not because he changed his mind but because he ran out of ammunition.
Hahn said Bowers boasted to police that he did it alone, saying that “all Jews must die.”
Prosecutors in the US said: “Everyone has the right to worship, but no one has the right to enter a place of worship and kill believers because of their belief.”
Public Defender Elisa Long acknowledged the victims’ pain, horror and fear and said the loss was immeasurable and the defense offered no justification for it.
She further argued that the jury should focus on Bowers’ intent, saying he did not kill because of the victims’ religious beliefs but because of his own thoughts about immigration.
She referenced his obsession with HIAS, a Jewish organization that provides services to immigrant refugees. While acknowledging that Bowers’ thoughts were nonsensical and illogical, she said Bowers made a connection in his own mind between Jews and immigrants, whom he viewed as invaders.
Long said it was clear that Bowers felt he had to kill Jews for helping settle immigrants.
She said there was no doubt that Bowers expressed his hatred of Jews on Gab, a far-right social media page, but his intention was not to impede their attendance at religious services.
In counterargument, US Attorney for Western Pennsylvania Eric Olshan told jurors that Bowers had expressed his hatred of Jews and said it was his reason for killing. He argued that the jury should take Bowers at his word.
He asked where Bowers went that day, to an immigrant resettlement area, to the borders, to HIAS headquarters?
Olshan said no; He went to Squirrel Hill, the center of the Jewish universe in Pittsburgh, to the Tree of Life synagogue building that Saturday morning during services.
Olshan told the jury that for someone to go to a house of worship and shoot an AR-15 at worshipers was an interference with their freedom to worship.
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