"Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting Trial Commences in Pittsburgh"

The trial of Robert G. Bowers, who is accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, has begun. Prosecutors say Bowers was a methodical killer who considered Jews a “cancer upon the planet” and hunted down his victims as they hid in the pews. Bowers faces 63 hate-crime and gun-related charges in the mass killing, which would make him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted. His defense team has filed motions stating that he suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy and offered to have Bowers plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence, which prosecutors rejected.