Man charged in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre planned attack, defense attorney says

The man accused of killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 planned the attack, his attorney acknowledged in opening remarks at trial Tuesday.

There is “no question that this was a planned act,” defense attorney Judy Clarke said, according to CNN. However, she also urged jurors to “carefully scrutinize” the alleged gunman’s intent.

Robert Gregory Bowers, now 50, allegedly killed 11 people and injured seven others when he opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue Oct. 27, 2018. 

He is facing dozens of charges, including obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death and hate crimes resulting in death, over the mass shooting that prosecutors have said was motivated by antisemitism.

“The prosecution says that Robert Bowers had a deep and abiding prejudice, that he hated Jews,” his attorney said Tuesday. “We know that there is more to the story.”

“He had what to us is this unthinkable, nonsensical, irrational thought that by killing Jews he would attain his goal,” Clarke said, according to The Associated Press. She added, “There is no making sense of this senseless act. Mr. Bowers caused extraordinary harm to many, many people.”

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case, after previously turning down Bowers’s offer to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence.