A truck driver behind a 2018 shooting attack targeting a Pittsburgh synagogue was convicted on Friday in an act believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in the United States.

Robert Bowers was convicted of killing 11 congregants and could be sentenced to die for the crime. Jurors could otherwise decide to sentence him to life in prison without parole.

On October 27, 2018, Bowers attacked and killed worshippers at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue.

His lawyers had conceded at the trial that he was responsible for the crime, cementing his guilty verdict.

Bowers was tried on 63 criminal counts. They included hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death.

In the penalty phase of the trial, due to begin next week, jurors will decide whether he is sentenced to death or life in prison. 

What happened during the trial?

The defendant's attorneys had offered a guilty plea, in an attempt to secure a life sentence instead of the death penalty. Prosecutors turned down the offer, pushing to take the case to trial and consequently going after the death sentence.

A prosecutor accused Bowers on Thursday of turning a sacred house of worship into a "hunting ground" and targeting victims based on their religion.

Besides those killed, Bowers also wounded seven others with his AR-15 rifle and other weapons, including five responding police officers.

Prosecutors also highlighted his animosity toward Jews and immigrants prior to the shooting.

Evidence presented included antisemitic and white supremacist content he shared or liked on Gab, a social media platform popular with the far right. Some content included praise for Hitler and the Holocaust.

Bowers' attorneys are basing their defense on trying to argue the convicted man suffers from schizophrenia. 

They did not dispute that he shot the victims. However, they argued his motive was not a hatred of Jewish people, but rather a "misguided intent" to stop a Jewish organization from aiding immigrants attempting to settle in the US.

What was the response to the verdict?

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Congregation, who had survived the attack, welcomed the news of the verdict.

"I am grateful to God for getting us to this day," he said in a written statement. "And I am thankful for the law enforcement who ran into danger to rescue me, and the US Attorney who stood up in court to defend my right to pray."

Congregation CEO Carole Zawatsky expressed hope the verdict would provide survivors and family members of the victims with "some level of comfort and helps to ease the pain, even if ever so slightly."

rmt/sms (AP, Reuters)