Synagogue suspect appears in US court
ROBERT Bowers, the suspect charged with slaughtering 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the worst anti-Semitic attack in US history, appeared in court on Monday for the first time, in a wheelchair.
The 46-year-old, pasty faced and balding, made little comment during the three-minute hearing.
He faces 29 charges of violent crimes after opening fire during a baby-naming ceremony during Shabbat services on Saturday, killing 11 people and injuring six others, including police officers.
He reportedly yelled “All Jews must die” as he burst into the Tree of Life synagogue, where congregants gathered for Sabbath services.
Bowers was ta ken into custody on Saturday after being wounded in a shootout with police and transferred to hospita l. The extent of his injuries is unclear and he wore no v isible bandages.
Bowers was wheeled into the wood-panelled court room at the US federal court house in downtown Pittsburgh, at 1:31pm (12:31am in Cambodia).
H i s h a n d c u f f s w e r e removed, a l low i ng h i m to sign a piece of paper work and he sat bet ween t wo publ ic defenders who represented him for t he purposes of t he brief procedural hearing.
He conferred with both lawyers, but their remarks were inaudible to the press gallery.
Bowers replied “Yes Sir” when asked if he had received a copy of the criminal complaint after the judge summarized the charges.
Bowers’ lawyers waived the right for the complaint and statutory penalties to be read out. The prosecution spoke only to confirm that Bowers was classified a “flight risk.”
The judge scheduled the next court appearance for Thursday at 10:00am and until then consigned the defendant to the custody of US Marshalls.
He faces 11 counts of using a firearm to commit murder and 11 counts of obstructing the exercise of religion resulting in death. The crimes of violence are based on civil rights laws prohibiting hate crimes.
Authorities have said Bowers’ charges could carry the death penalty.
Meanwhile the White House announced on Monday that President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will travel to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
The announcement came amid a mounting row over whether Trump’s fierce rhetoric at campaign rallies and on Twitter has been partly responsible for stoking extremist fires ahead of November 6 midterm elections.