Pittsburgh gunman found eligible for death penalty

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A jury has found a gunman who murdered 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue is eligible for the death penalty.

Robert Bowers, 50, was found guilty last month for the October 2018 attack.

This is the second stage of the trial. It now moves on to its final phase, sentencing selection.

The same jury will have to decide if Bowers should receive life in prison or be sentenced to death for carrying out the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history.

During the last trial phase, the jury will hear victim impact statements and other evidence before deciding if Bowers should be put to death.

Bowers, a truck driver, was convicted last month of 63 charges, including murder and hate crimes.

Prosecutors argued he was “filled with hatred for Jews” and “hunted” his victims.

An attorney for Bowers argued he carried out the attack because of hatred of immigrants and a Jewish non-profit group, not because of his hate specifically for Jews.

That distinction is important because under US federal law, in order for the jury to impose the death penalty, the prosecution must prove that Bowers was motivated by race hate or killed to stop people from exercising their religious beliefs.