Pittsburgh synagogue shooter sentenced to death

Survivors and family members of deceased victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting were seen embracing and comforting each other in court as the jury’s verdict was read.

Robert Bowers’ aunt Patricia Fine, who testified for the defense, was also present in court.

The jurors remained straight-faced and stoic the entire proceeding.

For nearly the entire time, Bowers was bent over looking intently at a piece of paper his attorney marked as the judge read through the jury’s lengthy verdict form. He wore a pair of dark glasses when he looked at the paper but took them off when he stood to face the jury as they entered the courtroom

Stifling cries could be heard at one point in the courtroom, but the room was moved to complete silence as the judge moved to the section which ultimately would be read aloud as the death sentence.

Bowers had no noticeable reaction. After the judge read the sentence, there was a sniffle from the crowd.

Bowers continued staring at the paper, then leaned over to a member of his defense team to briefly whisper something in his ear before returning to look at the paper.

As the jury was polled, Bowers again said something to a member of his defense team, and then returned to being hunched over looking at the table. He only briefly looked up at the jurors as they affirmed their votes.

Bowers looked out into the crowd as he was taken away.

Before the proceeding, Carol Black, the sister of victim Richard Gottfried, was seen hugging Andrea Wedner, who lost her 97-year-old mother in the attack, as they lined up outside to enter the courtroom.

In court, Black was seen wiping her nose with tissues. Wedner was seen crying and dabbing her face with tissues.

Sobbing was heard in the hall outside the courtroom as the family members and victims walked into another room.

All the attorneys were stoic as they left the courtroom.

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