Pittsburgh synagogue shooting: Bowers defense team asks to throw out death penalty

PITTSBURGH — Defense attorneys for the suspect in a deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, which housed the Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life congregations, have filed a renewed motion for the death penalty to be thrown out.

Attorneys for Robert Bowers said the Department of Justice is arbitrarily seeking the death penalty against him.

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Bowers, 50, is accused of killing 11 people at the synagogue in 2018.

The original motion to have the death penalty thrown out was filed last summer.

It was announced in 2019 that the prosecution would seek the death penalty.

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Bowers is facing more than 60 federal charges.

Jury selection for the trial is set to start on April 24.

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