Global InformationPittsburgh synagogue shooting information
| Pittsburgh synagogue shooting | |
|---|---|
 People visit the memorials to victims of the mass shooting outside the Tree of Life synagogue on November 4, 2018
 
1km 0.6miles  | |
| Location | Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation, 5898 Wilkins Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°26′37″N 79°55′17″W / 40.44361°N 79.92139°W |
| Date | October 27, 2018 9:54 – 11:08 a.m. (EDT) |
| Target | Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder, domestic terrorism, hate crime, right-wing terrorism[1] |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 11 |
| Injured | 7 (including the perpetrator) |
| Perpetrator | Robert Gregory Bowers |
| Motive | Antisemitism, belief in the white genocide conspiracy theory |
| Verdict | Federal: Guilty on all counts |
| Convictions | 63 federal criminal counts[a] |
| Charges | 36 state criminal counts |
| Sentence | Federal: Death[5] |
The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was an antisemitic terrorist attack that took place at the Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation[b] synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The congregation, along with New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Hadash, which also worshipped in the building, was attacked during Shabbat morning services on October 27, 2018. The perpetrator killed eleven people and wounded six, including several Holocaust survivors. It was the deadliest attack on any Jewish community in the United States.[7][8]
The perpetrator, identified as 46-year-old Robert Gregory Bowers,[9] was shot multiple times by police and arrested at the scene.[10] Bowers had earlier posted antisemitic comments against HIAS (formerly, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) on the online alt-tech social network Gab.[11][12][13] Dor Hadash[14] had participated in HIAS's National Refugee Shabbat the previous week. Referring to Central American migrant caravans and immigrants, Bowers posted a message on Gab in which he wrote that "HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."[15][16] He was charged with 63 federal crimes, some of which are capital crimes.[10] He pleaded not guilty.[10] On June 16, 2023, he was found guilty on all federal counts, and on August 3, 2023, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection.[17][18][19][20] He separately faces 36 charges in Pennsylvania state court.[21]
- ^ Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Called Domestic Terrorism Archived March 27, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, New Hampshire Public Radio
- ^ a b "What we know about Robert Bowers, suspect in mass shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue". WPXI. October 28, 2018. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NYT-counts-20181027+notewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Additional Charges Filed in Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting". United States Department of Justice. January 29, 2019.
- ^ "The Pittsburgh synagogue shooter faces the death penalty despite a pause on federal executions". June 26, 2023.
- ^ "Synagogue Life". Tree of Life * Or l'Simcha Congregation. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ Selk, Avi; Craig, Tim; Boburg, Shawn; Ba Tran, Andrew (October 28, 2018). "'They showed his photo, and my stomach just dropped': Neighbors recall synagogue massacre suspect as a loner". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ Gardner, Timothy; Mason, Jeff; Brunnstrom, David (October 27, 2018). "Trump says Pittsburgh shooting has little to do with gun laws". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
WSJ-20181028EA-JRHwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Ove, Torsten (February 11, 2019). "Robert Bowers, accused in Tree of Life synagogue shootings, arraigned". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Andone, Dakin; Hanna, Jason; Sterling, Joe; Murphy, Paul P. (October 28, 2018). "Hate crime charges filed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 dead". CNN. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
- ^ Shannon, Sant (October 27, 2018). "What's Known About Robert Bowers, The Suspect In The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting". NPR. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ Vesoulis, Abby (October 27, 2018). "How Gab Became the Social Media Site Where the Pittsburgh Suspect's Anti-Semitism Thrived". Time. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ Levenson, Eric; Sanchez, Ray (October 27, 2018). "Mass shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue". CNN. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ Cortellessa, Eric (October 28, 2018). "Why the Pittsburgh shooter is not being prosecuted for terrorism". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ O'Brien, Brendan; Allen, Jonathan (August 3, 2023). Potter, Mark; Osterman, Cynthia (eds.). "Pittsburgh jury condemns Tree of Life synagogue killer to death". Reuters.
- ^ "Robert Bowers found guilty in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial". WTAE. June 17, 2023.
- ^ Souza, Sabrina; Brown, Nicki; Levenson, Eric (August 2, 2023). "Pittsburgh synagogue shooter sentenced to death for killing 11 worshippers in 2018 massacre". CNN. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Mayo, Bob (August 3, 2023). "Robert Bowers formally sentenced to death in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting". WTAE.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NYT-counts-20181027was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).