Pittsburgh synagogue attacker gets death sentence

WASHINGTON: A US federal jury has handed down the death penalty to the attacker responsible for killing 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in June 2018.

The verdict required a unanimous vote from the 12-member jury for the sentence to be imposed, and prosecutors had urged them to vote in favor of the death penalty, according to the BBC.

Prior to this ruling, the same jury had found the man guilty of all 63 charges related to the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue, marking the worst antisemitic attack in American history.

US District Court Judge Robert Colville received the verdict on Wednesday and is now expected to implement the jury’s decision.

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The jury reached their decision on the second day of deliberations.

The attacker, Robert Bowers, killed 11 worshippers during the assault, with victims’ ages ranging from 54 to 97. Additionally, seven others were injured, including five police officers who responded to the scene.

The synagogue was shared by three congregations – Dor Hadash, New Light, and the Tree of Life. While most families of the victims have expressed support for the death penalty for Bowers, some, including the Dor Hadash congregation, have voiced their opposition.

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Congregation, a survivor of the attack, stated on Wednesday that the jury’s decision brings a sense of closure to the community.

“Now that the trial is nearly over and the jury has recommended a death sentence, it is my hope that we can begin to heal and move forward,” said Rabbi Myers.