Devendra Kumar
The gunman who stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, killing 11 worshippers, will be sentenced to death for the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history. Robert Bowers, a 50-year-old truck driver, carried out the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue, where members of three congregations had gathered for Sabbath worship and study. Bowers, who had a history of spreading hatred of Jews and espousing white supremacist beliefs online, methodically planned and executed the attack, reloading his gun at least twice and surrendering only when he ran out of ammunition. He also wounded two worshippers and five responding police officers.
In the sentencing phase, family members of the victims shared their experiences of loss and pain, while survivors described their physical and emotional wounds. Bowers, however, showed little reaction, often looking down at papers or screens at the defense table. He even told a psychiatrist that the trial was helping to spread his antisemitic message.
Federal prosecutors argued that death was the appropriate punishment, citing the vulnerability of Bowers’ elderly victims and his hate-based targeting of a religious community. Most victims’ families agreed, saying Bowers should die for his crimes. Bowers’ lawyers, while failing to contest his guilt, focused on trying to save his life by presenting evidence of a traumatic childhood and claiming he suffered from severe, untreated mental illness.
The prosecution denied any connection between Bowers’ mental health and the attack, saying he knew exactly what he was doing when he opened fire on terrified congregants with an AR-15 rifle and other weapons. Bowers blasted into the synagogue on October 27, 2018, killing members of the Dor Hadash, New Light, and Tree of Life congregations.
The victims included Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, brothers David and Cecil Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, Dan Stein, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger. Bowers has shown no remorse for the killings, telling police at the scene that “all these Jews need to die” and expressing pride in the attack in interviews with mental health experts.
As the case goes to the judge for formal sentencing, the synagogue remains closed, and the Tree of Life congregation is working on a new complex to house a sanctuary, museum, memorial, and center for combating antisemitism. The synagogue massacre has left a lasting impact on the community, and the families of the victims are still grappling with the pain and loss suffered.