(JTA) — Federal officials have charged Robert Bowers, the alleged gunman who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue, with 29 counts.
Bowers, who was engaged and apprehended by police after allegedly shooting at worshippers inside Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh Saturday, reportedly shouted “All these Jews need to die.” Before the shooting, he condemned HIAS, the Jewish immigrant aid group, on his website.
On Saturday, Scott W. Brady, United States attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and Robert Jones, special agent in charge of the FBI, announced that Bowers has been charged with 11 counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death, as well as 11 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence. He has also been charged with seven other counts related to obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs and use of a firearm.
He has no previous criminal history, according to The New York Times.
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