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Friday 4 august 2023
Pittsburgh synagogue gunman has been sentenced to die in the

nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack

Continued from Front than ever,” he declared. claims that Bowers has Never,” Simon told Bowers. responded to the attack
Bowers, from suburban schizophrenia and that It was the first federal death as a member of the Pitts-
Bowers, who chose not Baldwin, ranted about his delusions about Jewish sentence imposed dur- burgh police SWAT team,
to speak, spent the entire Jews online before carry- people spurred the attack. ing the presidency of Joe recalled on the witness
hearing shuffling through ing out the attack at Tree “Mr. Bowers, you met my Biden, who pledged dur- stand Thursday that Bowers
papers and writing, and of Life, in the heart of Pitts- beloved husband in the ing his 2020 campaign to “begged for mercy” after
refused to look those he burgh’s Jewish community, kitchen. Your callous disre- end capital punishment. being wounded in a shoot-
victimized in the eye, even on Oct. 27, 2018. gard for the person he was Biden’s Justice Department out with police — after he
when invited to do so. He killed members of the repulses me,” testified Peg has placed a moratorium had shown no mercy to
Several survivors spoke of Dor Hadash, New Light Durachko, wife of 65-year- on federal executions and those he murdered.
lingering traumas — sleep- and Tree of Life congre- old Dr. Richard Gottfried, has declined to authorize The gunman was con-
lessness, fear of crowds gations, which shared the a dentist who was shot the death penalty in hun- victed in June of 63 fed-
and loud noises, and physi- synagogue building. Bow- and killed. “Your hateful dreds of new cases where eral counts, including hate
cal and cognitive strug- ers told police at the scene act took my soulmate from it could apply. crimes resulting in death
gles triggered by the 2018 that “all these Jews must me.” But federal prosecutors said and obstruction of the free
massacre at the Tree of Life die” and has since ex- Mark Simon, whose parents, death was the appropriate exercise of religion resulting
synagogue. But survivors pressed pride in the killings. Bernice and Sylvan Simon, punishment for Bowers, cit- in death.
and family members, sev- Jurors were unanimous in were killed in the attack, ing the vulnerability of his In addition to Mallinger,
eral wearing yarmulkes sig- finding that Bowers’ at- testified he still has their mainly elderly victims and Gottfried and the Simons,
nifying Jewish observance, tack was motivated by his bloodied prayer shawl. He his hate-based targeting of the deceased victims were
also emphasized their re- hatred of Jews, and that said he remains haunted a religious community. Joyce Fienberg, 75; Dr. Jer-
silience in practicing the he chose Tree of Life for its by the 911 call placed by An appeal is expected, ry Rabinowitz, 66; brothers
Judaism that the defend- location in one of the larg- his mother, whom Bowers meaning that Bowers will David Rosenthal, 54, and
ant hated. est and most historic Jewish shot while she was on the likely spend years on fed- Cecil Rosenthal, 59; Dan
Alan Mallinger, son of communities in the nation line. eral death row even if the Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87;
97-year-old Rose Mallinger, so he could “maximize the “My parents died alone, Justice Department lifts the and Irving Younger, 69.
the attack’s oldest victim, devastation, amplify the without any living soul to moratorium on executions. The synagogue has been
told Bowers the synagogue harm of his crimes, and in- comfort them or to hold Bowers, who was armed closed since the shootings.
would be rebuilt, the scene still fear within the local, their hand in their last mo- with an AR-15 rifle and oth- The Tree of Life congrega-
of future bar and bat mitz- national, and international ments,” said Simon, con- er weapons, also shot and tion plans to overhaul the
vahs and other rituals of Jewish communities.” They demning “that defendant” wounded seven, including synagogue complex to
Jewish worship. also found that Bowers and urging the judge to five responding police of- house a sanctuary, muse-
“We continue to thrive as lacked remorse. show him no mercy. ficers. um, memorial and center
Jewish people … stronger The jury rejected defense “You will never be forgiven. Sgt. Jonathan Craig, who for fighting antisemitism.q

2 US Navy sailors arrested on charges tied to national security and China

actions. sight into U.S. military op- while he was applying to
U.S. officials have for years erations. become a naturalized U.S.
expressed concern about “Through the alleged citizen, prosecutors said,
the espionage threat they crimes committed by these and admitted to the officer
say the Chinese govern- defendants, sensitive mili- that he knew the arrange-
ment poses, bringing crimi- tary information ended up ment could affect his ap-
nal cases in recent years in the hands of the Peo- plication. Still, prosecutors
against Beijing intelligence ple’s Republic of China,” said, he continued to send
operatives who have sto- said U.S. Attorney Randy sensitive U.S. military infor-
len sensitive government Grossman of the Southern mation multiple times over
and commercial informa- District of California. He the course of a year and
tion, including through ille- added that the charges even was congratulated
gal hacking. demonstrate the Chinese by the Chinese officer once
U.S. Attorney Randy S. Grossman for the Southern District of The pair of cases also government’s “determina- Wei became a U.S. citizen,
California, center, speaks during a press conference at the comes on the heels of an- tion to obtain information Grossman said. He added
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California on
Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, in San Diego. other insider-threat pros- that is critical to our nation- that Wei “chose to turn his
(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) ecution tied to the U.S. al defense by any means, back on his newly adopted
military, with the Justice De- so it could be used to their country” for greed.
By Julie Watson and Lolita in California, were charged partment in April arresting a advantage.” The Justice Department
C. Baldor with similar moves to pro- Massachusetts Air National Jinchao Wei, a 22-year-old also charged sailor Wen-
Associated Press vide sensitive intelligence Guardsman on charges of sailor assigned to the San heng Zhao, 26, based at
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two U.S. to the Chinese. But they leaking classified military Diego-based USS Essex, was Naval Base Ventura Coun-
Navy sailors have been ar- were separate cases, and documents about Russia’s arrested Wednesday on a ty, north of San Diego, with
rested and accused of it wasn’t clear if the two war in Ukraine and other charge related to espio- conspiring to collect bribes
providing sensitive military were courted or paid by sensitive national security nage involving conspiracy from a Chinese intelligence
information to China — in- the same Chinese intelli- topics on Discord, a social to send national defense officer in exchange for U.S.
cluding details on wartime gence officer as part of a media platform popular information to Chinese offi- naval exercise plans, oper-
exercises, naval operations larger scheme. Federal offi- with people playing online cials, according to the U.S. ational orders and photos
and critical technical ma- cials at a news conference games. authorities. and videos of electrical sys-
terial, federal officials said in San Diego declined to U.S. officials said the cases Wei, who was born in Chi- tems at Navy facilities be-
Thursday. specify whether the sailors exemplify China’s brazen- na, was approached by a tween August 2021 through
The two sailors, both based were aware of each other's ness in trying to obtain in- Chinese intelligence officer at least this May.q