In this courtroom sketch, Robert Bowers, the suspect in the 2018 synagogue massacre, confers with his legal team on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (David Klug via AP)
Prosecutors release timeline of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
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Oliver Morrison/WESA
In this courtroom sketch, Robert Bowers, the suspect in the 2018 synagogue massacre, confers with his legal team on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (David Klug via AP)
On the last day of testimony from prosecution witnesses during the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial, prosecutors laid out a full timeline of what happened on the day of the shooting.
Robert Bowers has been accused of entering the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018 and shooting and killing 11 Jewish worshipers and injuring six other people.
FBI Agent Brian Collins testified on Wednesday that he was one of the agents in charge of collecting and reviewing evidence after the shooting, including physical evidence, many hours of body camera footage, footage from police vehicles, and radio traffic from 911 calls and police dispatch. From this evidence, Collins said, they created a timeline of the shooting:
8:17 am — Defendant accesses the website of HIAS, [the Jewish refugee resettlement agency]
8:57 am — Defendant’s computer booted, set to shred its data in 200 minutes
9:48 a.m. — Defendant’s cell phone accesses LastPass password manager for Gab.com
9:49 a.m. — Account “OneDingo” associated with Bowers posted on Gab, ” HIAS Likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch people get slaughtered. Screw your optics. I’m going in.”
9:54 a.m. — Worshiper Bernice Simon makes the first 911 call, says her husband was shot
9:54 a.m. — Rabbi Jeffrey Myers (4 seconds later) makes second 911 call
9:54 a.m. — Marty Gaynor makes a third 911 call
9:55 a.m. — Richard Gottfried is in the basement in the kitchen. His call lasted approximately a minute
9:55:04 a.m. — Bernice Simon’s second 911 call initiates after her first 911 call disconnected
9:55 a.m. — Pittsburgh Police issue radio dispatch call about active shooter in the building
9:57:05 a.m. — Audrey Glickman’s call
9:57:11 a.m. — Andrea Wegner’s 911 call, climbing stairs to choir loft
9:58 a.m. — Barry Werber, calling from storage closet in basement
9:58:46 a.m. — Barry Werber says man shot in doorway, Melvin Wax shot in basement
9:58:52 a.m. — Officer [Daniel] Mead shot in hand
10:01:18 a.m. — Defendant reengages, shoots at victims in Pervin Chapel. Seconds later, [Officer] Michael Smidga fires five times in. Seconds later, Officer Smidga radios that “I just …” shot at the defendant
10:01:35 a.m. — Defendant shoots out at Smidga through the window in front
10:01:48 a.m. — The defendant shoots Bernice Simon.
[Large gap]
10:53: a.m. — Defendant fires first shots in upper level of synagogue to engage defendant
10:55 a.m. — Second volley of gunfire initiated by defendant in upper-level classroom
11:13 a.m. — Defendant handcuffed by police
Also Wednesday, FBI analyst Peter Hammer testified about his work to determine what happened to Bowers’ computer that morning.
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