Jury Unanimously Recommends Death Penalty for Robert Bowers in Historic Hate Crime Sentencing

A federal jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has unanimously decided to sentence Robert Bowers to death for perpetrating the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Bowers opened fire on the Tree of Life synagogue in October 2018, killing 11 and wounding seven others.

The jury reached its decision after a two-week trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that Bowers had planned the attack for months in advance. Bowers had posted incessantly on social media about his hatred of Jewish people and immigrants, and had expressed white supremacist beliefs.

The jury’s decision will now be sent to U.S. District Court Judge Robert Colville, who is bound to impose the death penalty against Bowers. The sentence marks the first time since the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988 that a jury has recommended execution for a hate crime.

The attack at the Tree of Life synagogue was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history, and the sentence against Bowers is seen as a sign of justice for the victims and their families.

“This is a day of justice for the 11 victims of the Tree of Life massacre and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Scott Brady in a statement. “We hope that this decision brings some measure of closure to the community and to the families of those who were killed and injured.”