Robert Bowers, the far-right white supremacist terrorist who shot and killed 11 Jewish people worshipping in a Pennsylvania synagogue in 2018, was found guilty on Friday on all 63 charges he faced, according to multiple news outlets.
Bowers carried out the deadly attack on Oct. 27 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh using an AR-15 assault-style rifle and three handguns. The mass shooting was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
"He outright told SWAT operators he went to the synagogue to kill Jews," prosecutor Mary Hahn said during closing arguments.
According to the New York Times, months before his attack Bowers had been posting far-right racist memes, calling immigrants "invaders" and Jews the "enemy of white people." He also regularly posted conspiracy theories combining Islamophobia with anti-Semitism such as: “Open you Eyes! It’s the filthy EVIL jews Bringing the Filthy EVIL Muslims into the Country!!”
Of the 63 criminal counts, which included hate crimes, Bowers, 46, was found guilty on 11 counts of obstructing the exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death, a capital offense that carries the death penalty.
Legal proceedings will now move to sentencing wherein a jury must decide whether Bowers will be given the death penalty or spend the rest of his life in prison. Prosecutors had already rejected a plea deal in which Bowers would have pleaded guilty in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table.
"He came to kill Jews," New Light Congregation said in a statement during the trial. "Survivors were forced to relive the day's trauma, while family members suffered through testimony recalling the final minutes of their loved ones."
In addition to the 11 victims who were killed, six others were injured. Police eventually shot Bowers multiple times before he was taken into custody.
