Firearms lie on the floor of the classroom where the police shootout with Robert Bowers took place.
Courtesy Of U.S District Court Western District Of Pennsylvania
Medical examiner testifies to victims’ extensive injuries in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
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Oliver Morrison/WESA
Courtesy Of U.S District Court Western District Of Pennsylvania
Firearms lie on the floor of the classroom where the police shootout with Robert Bowers took place.
Prosecutors called Dr. Ashton Ennis, a former forensic pathologist for Allegheny County, to begin testimony on Tuesday about the injuries suffered by the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings.
On Oct. 27, 2018, an armed man walked into the Tree of Life synagogue and shot and killed 11 Jewish worshipers and injured six people, including four police officers. Robert Bowers has been charged with 63 federal counts, including 11 counts of a hate crime that resulted in death. Bowers has attempted to plead guilty to the charges in exchange for a sentence of life in prison but prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Ennis conducted four autopsies of shooting victims. The court briefly showed photos of Cecil Rosenthal’s body and Ennis testified that Rosenthal suffered a rifle wound to the head and four other wound injuries to his back, each of which caused serious damage.
Ennis also said he found two bullet wounds when he examined Daniel Stein — one through his head and another through his thigh. In addition evidence indicated Stein had been shot from inches or a few feet away.
He also testified that Melvin Wax was shot with the gun touching his chest.
Shootout with Bowers
Earlier in the morning, Andrew Miller, a SWAT officer who responded to the shooting, described a shootout with Bowers as if it were a war zone, with bullets kicking up dust and debris in a way that made it impossible to see.
Bowers had been holed up in the hidden part of the classroom, which was shaped like an L, so Bowers could see whoever entered through the door without being seen himself, Miller said. From there, Bowers shot and wounded officer Timothy Matson, who fell to the floor. Officer Michael Saldutte dove to cover Matson and returned fire at Bowers, Miller testified.
Miller was the third person to enter the room with Bowers, he testified, and he fired his weapon at Bowers just inside the doorway. The dust from the rifles and soot from the room kicked up in a way that made it hard to see very far, even after he flashed his light for visibility. That worsened as bullets tore up the drywall near him, he said. A photo of the room taken afterward showed that the wall was riddled with bullet holes near where Miller had been standing.
Courtesy Of U.S District Court Western District Of Pennsylvania
Bullet holes in the wall where SWAT officer Andrew Miller was standing.
Miller said he could see the muzzle fire from Bowers in the dark and continued to fire at him, until Saldutte and Matson were able to escape from the room. At that point, Miller exited the room and helped to pull Matson to a lower floor where he could get medical attention.
Then Miller ran back up toward where another gunfire exchange had occurred with Bowers. After Bowers surrendered, Miller testified that he heard Bowers say, at a normal volume, that “he had to do it. Jews are the children of Satan and they’re murdering our children.”
After Bowers crawled out and surrendered, Miller pulled a handgun off of Bowers’ waist and moved to handcuff Bowers. Miller couldn’t tighten the second cuff on Bowers because Miller’s hands were so covered in the blood of Matson and Bowers, who had also been injured in the gunfire, that Miller had to ask for help to tighten the cuffs. Miller said he searched Bowers in another room, where he found an additional gun and ammunition, before he called to get medical help for Bowers.
A jury member was dismissed on Monday without a reason given. The trial is continuing with 12 jurors and 5 alternate jurors.
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