Federal prosecutors say a Pittsburgh synagogue massacre defendant’s statements at the scene and at a hospital should be allowed at trial because concerns about public safety were a valid reason to question him even after he'd asked for an attorney.
A virtual remembrance, an overseas concert and community service projects highlight the many plans for commemorating the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history on the shooting's one-year anniversary Sunday. The attack killed 11 worshippers and wounded seven at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood. The Tree of Life building has remained closed since the shooting. It includes a private Jewish service, studying the portion of the Torah that was to be read when the shooting happened, opportunities to do community service, and a public memorial service. There also will be a link to a live stream of the public memorial service in Pittsburgh.
chicagotribune.comOn Friday, they outlined their vision for the Tree of Life building, where three congregations Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light had gathered on Oct. 27, 2018. Tree of Life leaders now envision a rebuilt space that includes places for worship; memorial, education and social events; classrooms and exhibitions. There will be a memorial for the 11 victims, but whether that will be the city's public memorial remains to be determined. The next steps include hiring a strategic planning consultant well versed in the Jewish community and in building collaborative and space-sharing plans. The Jewish community and the city will hold a commemoration on Sunday, Oct. 27 exactly one year after the shooting.
chicagotribune.comAnd the venue for the services will not be the Tree of Life synagogue, the site of the massacre. All three congregations that shared space there have been worshipping at neighboring synagogues since the attack on Oct. 27, 2018. A week ago, looking ahead to the New Year holiday, Kissileff wrote a first-person article for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency describing how her congregation was coping. Planned events include a private Jewish service in the morning, a community service event, and a public memorial service in the evening. Kissileff said her husband, Rabbi Perlman, has been limiting his media availability heading into the Jewish holidays.
chicagotribune.comA memorial for victims of the mass shooting that killed 11 people and wounded six at the Tree Of Life Synagogue is seen on Oct. 29, 2018, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (CNN) - The Justice Department is planning to seek the death penalty against the suspected shooter in the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue massacre. Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty on charges that include obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death, use and discharge of a firearm to commit murder and possession of a firearm during a violent crime. Prosecutors say their intent to seek the death penalty is justified because Bowers' anti-Semitic views played a role in the shooting, the shooting was intentional and he showed no remorse, according to a federal notice to seek the death penalty. Of the 63 charges, 22 counts carry the death penalty, a Justice Department news release in Januart said.
Federal and local authorities recently have said there are heightened concerns about domestic terrorism and white supremacy. AdvertisementIn July, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee that a majority of domestic terrorism cases the bureau has investigated are motivated by white supremacy. Wray assured the panel that the FBI was aggressively pursuing domestic terrorism and hate crimes. Here are examples of attacks in recent years in the U.S. and elsewhere that authorities have linked to white supremacist ideology. Tarrant was charged with the murder of 51 people, 40 counts of attempted murder and one terrorism charge.
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