He was sentenced to death by a federal jury in the United States and was involved in a large-scale shooting that resulted in the death of 11 people. Jury | Shooting Case | Publication | Death Penalty | Belief | United States | Report | Bowles
On August 3, according to CNN, on the 2nd local time, a federal jury in the United States decided to sentence Robert Bowles, the perpetrator of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting, to death. This case is the first death penalty precedent since the US Department of Justice suspended the death penalty in 2021, and the second federal death penalty verdict during the Biden administration.
According to reports, Bowles' official verdict is scheduled to take place on the 3rd local time, and some families of the victims are expected to give speeches.
Bowles, currently 50 years old, was convicted on June 16, with 22 out of 63 charges being capital offenses. On July 13th, the jury concluded that Bowles should be sentenced to death, and the case entered the final sentencing stage.
The report states that a unanimous verdict from the jury is required to impose the death penalty, otherwise the sentence can only be life imprisonment without bail.
On October 27, 2018, Bowles stormed into a Jewish church in Pittsburgh where a religious ceremony was taking place and opened fire on the crowd inside, resulting in 11 deaths. This shooting case is the most serious anti Semitic attack in American history, and the US Department of Justice has classified it as a "hate crime" targeting specific racial or religious groups.
According to reports, before the attack, Bowles had made hate remarks against immigrants and Jews on far right social media for many years. In the 2023 prison assessment, Bowles still expressed his views on hatred.
The prosecutor believes that Bowles lacks remorse for his actions. Bowles' defense lawyer emphasized that he had childhood difficulties and mental health issues, such as having a delusional belief system and being diagnosed with schizophrenia and epilepsy.
The report stated that no jurors recognized him as having "delusions" or "being a schizophrenic," and no one recognized him as committing a crime in a state of mental or emotional disorder. In addition, no juror considered him a "model pre-trial prisoner" or "showed respect for the court.".
US Attorney General Garland said in a statement, "Hate crimes like this have caused irreparable pain to individual victims and their families, and have led the entire community to question their sense of belonging."
According to reports, on the afternoon of August 2nd local time, about 30 families of shooting victims gathered at the Jewish community center in Pittsburgh to express their views on the verdict. Some families have expressed that although this cannot bring their families back to life, it represents justice being upheld.
According to previous reports, in 2021, US Attorney General Garland announced a suspension of federal executions while reviewing corresponding judicial procedures. Biden believes that the Justice Department's move is an "important step forward.".
