Tree of Life synagogue shooter is too delusional to get death penalty, defence argues
Jurors in Pittsburgh have begun considering whether the gunman in a white supremacist 2018 shooting at a local synagogue complex should get the death penalty. In June, Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue, was convicted on 63 federal counts. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, experts called by his attorneys have been arguing in court in recent days that he was so mentally damaged by the time of the shooting he shouldn’t face the death penalty, which is forbidden against people with certain intellectual handicaps. They pointed out how Bowers had been in multiple psychiatric hospitals by the time he was 13 years old, diagnosed with depression and other ailments. As a teenager, he also attempted to kill his mother by spraying an aerosol toward her and trying to light it on fire. By 16, he was voluntarily committed again to a mental facility and had made “repeated suicide attempts,” according to the defence. Richard Rogers, a forensic psychologist who met with Bowers four times while he was in prison, told jurors the gunman showed signs of delusional thinking tied to his white supremacist ideas. “He did not just believe [his conduct] to be correct,” Mr Rogers said, “he believed it absolutely had to be done.” A majority of families whose loved ones died in the shooting have voiced their support for the death penalty in the case. “We are not a ruthless, uncompassionate people; we, as a persecuted people, understand when there is a time for compassion and when there is a time to stand up and say enough is enough — such violent hatred will not be tolerated on this earth,” they wrote in a 2022 letter in the Pittsburg Jewish Chronicle. “Our beloved 11 were taken from us in a brutal, cold-blooded act of hatred and violence. We, the undersigned, will feel further violated by letting the defendant have the easy way out. His crimes deserve the death penalty.” Others tied to the tragedy, the deadliest antisemitic shooting in US history, argued the death penalty violates Jewish tradition. “Jewish practice as I understand it does not — outside of self-defense — allow humans to take the lives of other humans. Not even the life of a murderer whose guilt is beyond doubt,” Beth Kissileff, whose husband, a rabbi, was in the Tree of Life facility during the shooting, wrote in The New York Times. “The death penalty does nothing to promote healing; it only continues more killing,” she added. The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. Read More A copycat Zodiac Killer terrorised New York years after the California original. This is how he got caught Pittsburgh synagogue killer has extensive history of mental illness, defense expert testifies Doctors give mixed testimony on whether tests show brain damage in the Pittsburgh synagogue killer
2023-07-05 03:52
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DeSantis super PAC spokesman acknowledges campaign is 'way behind' Trump
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Highland Park marks year since July 4th parade shootings with moment of silence
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Chechnya Milashina attack: Armed thugs beat up Russian journalist and lawyer
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Five victims of deadly Philadelphia shooting identified
Five victims, including one teenager, who were killed during a mass shooting in Philadelphia have been identified by police. Four adult men and one child were killed during the shooting which took place in Kingsessing on Monday evening. The victims are Lashyd Merritt, 20, Dymir Stanton, 29, Ralph Moralis, 59, Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, and Daujan Brown, 15. Police said two children were also injured as a result of the shooting – a 13-year-old and a two-year-old. As of Monday evening, both children were in stable condition. The names of the two injured have not been released yet. The tragic shooting unfolded on Monday evening after a gunman, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, multiple magazines and wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire in a neighbourhood. Police responded to reports of gunfire around 8.30pm local time and apprehended the suspected shooter after pursuing him on foot. The suspected shooter, an adult male, was taken into custody Monday night. Local authorities later took another suspect into custody but said they were unsure how the second suspect may be connected to the suspected gunman. In a press conference on Monday night, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said authorities had “no idea” why the suspected gunman chose to open fire in the neighbourhood. Police were working to determine if the suspected shooter had any connection to the victims. Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney expressed frustration over the tragic shooting on Tuesday saying the United States needs to “re-examine” how it approaches gun laws. “Where does a person like this get an AR-15,” Mr Kenney said to reporters before the city’s Fourth of July celebrations on Tuesday. “Where does a person like this get a semi-automatic handgun? Where does a person like this buy a Kevlar vest?” “This country needs to re-examine its conscious when it comes to Congress or the state legislature and figure out how we get these guns out of these people’s hands,” Mr Kenney added. President Joe Biden also issued a statement on the shooting saying he and First Lady Jill Bien are grieving for the victims and their families while asking Congress to enact stricter gun control l aws. Mr Biden said: “We pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence.” Read More Philadelphia mass shooting – live: Five victims identified as 40-year-old Kingsessing gunman’s motive unclear Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after ‘tragic and senseless’ spate of July 4 shootings Five adults dead and two children wounded: What we know about mass shooting in Philadelphia
2023-07-05 02:57
Irish budget to deliver €5.2bn spending package
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