Pittsburgh synagogue shooter gets death penalty, more than 4½ years after he killed 11 in Squirrel Hill

A jury has decided the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter should be sentenced to death for his crimes.

U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville read the verdict as to Robert Bowers’ sentence about 11:45 a.m. Jurors had been deliberating since about 9 a.m. Tuesday and signaled they’d reached a verdict at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Judge Colville began reading the verdict just before noon.

Heavy and tense silence hung in the fifth-floor courtroom as family members and survivors packed into the three long benches.