Gunman sentenced to die for deadliest US antisemitic attack

US District Judge Robert Colville on Thursday (early Friday AEST) imposed the sentence on Robert Bowers, a 50-year-old truck driver whose vicious antisemitism led him to shoot his method into a spot of worship and goal folks for practising their religion.

“I have nothing specific that I care to say to Mr Bowers,” Colville mentioned, earlier than issuing the formal sentence.

A US decide has sentenced to demise Robert Bowers for the mass capturing at a Pittsburgh synagogue. (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation by way of AP) (AP)

“I am however convinced there is nothing I could say to him that might be meaningful.”

Bowers ranted about Jews on-line earlier than finishing up the assault at Tree of Life synagogue on October 27, 2018, and advised police on the scene that “all these Jews must die”. He has since expressed delight within the killings.

Jurors have been unanimous to find that Bowers’ assault was motivated by his hatred of Jews, and that he selected Tree of Life for its location in one of many largest and most historic Jewish communities within the nation so he might “maximise the devastation, amplify the harm of his crimes, and instill fear within the local, national, and international Jewish communities”.

They additionally discovered that Bowers lacked regret.

The jury rejected defence claims that Bowers has schizophrenia and that his delusions about Jewish folks spurred the assault.

The victims of the October 27, 2018, assault on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Top row, from left: Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, and David Rosenthal. Bottom row, from left: Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Dan Stein, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger. (United States District Court)

It was the primary federal demise sentence imposed in the course of the presidency of Joe Biden, who pledged throughout his 2020 marketing campaign to finish capital punishment.

Biden’s Justice Department has positioned a moratorium on federal executions and has declined to authorise the demise penalty in a whole lot of latest instances the place it might apply.

But federal prosecutors mentioned demise was the suitable punishment for Bowers, citing the vulnerability of his primarily aged victims and his hate-based concentrating on of a spiritual group.

An attraction is predicted, that means that Bowers will possible nonetheless spend years on federal demise row even when the Justice Department lifts the moratorium on executions.

Defendant Robert Bowers takes notes throughout a sentencing listening to that can decide if he will get a life sentence or the demise penalty, in Pittsburgh federal courtroom on Monday, July 31, 2023. (Dave Klug by way of AP)

Bowers, who was armed with an AR-15 rifle and different weapons, additionally shot and wounded seven, together with 5 responding cops.

He was convicted in June of 63 federal counts, together with hate crimes leading to demise and obstruction of the free train of faith leading to demise.