Mass Shooting Survivor Reflects on Trial After Gunman Sentenced to Death
After enduring a grueling nine-week trial, 12 jurors unanimously decided that Robert Bowers, the gunman responsible for the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, should be sentenced to death. The trial brought closure and a sense of relief to many survivors and families of the victims.
Rabbi Doris Dyen, who survived the shooting, described the trial as both extremely difficult and a necessary step in her healing process. As she listened to the testimonies, she felt as if the pieces of her traumatic memory were finally coming together. “I’m looking at a road that’s open now, whereas for this last four and a half years there hasn’t been a path,” she said.
Other survivors and family members expressed similar sentiments. Amy Mallinger, who lost her grandmother in the shooting, admitted that the trial was raw and difficult, but emphasized the importance of learning the details and holding the gunman accountable. Audrey Glickman, another survivor, believed that without the trial, the full story of the criminal’s actions would have been forgotten.
While most families of the victims supported the death sentence, there were dissenting voices. Miri Rabinowitz, whose husband was killed, saw executing the gunman as a contradiction to her husband’s values of valuing the sanctity of life. Abraham Bonowitz, the executive director of anti-capital punishment group Death Penalty Action, also voiced his opposition to the death penalty, citing the potential for appeals to reopen wounds repeatedly.
However, for many, the decision to sentence Bowers to death was the right choice. Glickman believed that the purpose of the death penalty was not only to punish but also to isolate individuals like Bowers and their antisemitic views from society. “Even if he sits alive on death row for decades, he is separated from others,” she explained.
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Congregation, who hid in a bathroom to survive the shooting, expressed hope that the trial’s conclusion would allow the community to heal and move forward. Members of the community gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh for a news conference to share their reactions to the verdict and express gratitude to the jurors and prosecutors involved in the case.
As the families walked out of the courthouse, emotions ran high. Some teared up as they embraced one another, relieved to have this part of their journey over. Jean Clickner, a member of the Dor Hadash congregation, one of the three attacked inside the synagogue, admitted that while she was generally against the death penalty, she understood and respected the jurors’ decision in this case.
The trial may have reached its conclusion, but the wounds caused by this tragic event will take time to heal. Yet, with the gunman now sentenced to death, the survivors and families of the victims can begin to rebuild their lives and find solace in knowing that justice has been served.
[Reported by Campbell Robertson and Ruth Graham]