REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton
Congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue rushed to help fellow worshippers even when they heard a man opening fire inside the building, a court heard on Wednesday.
Survivors of the 2018 massacre at the synagogue shared their testimonies during the second day of trial for shooter Robert Bowers. The 50-year-old Bowers is accused of murdering 11 worshippers, moments after posting an antisemitic conspiracy theory on the extremist-friendly social network Gab. During their Wednesday testimonies, Tree of Life congregants described their faith’s emphasis on helping people in need—a value that appears to have brought the synagogue into Bowers’ crosshairs.
Daniel Leger and Jerry Rabinowitz were inside the synagogue when they heard Bowers open fire, Leger testified on Wednesday. Both men were trained in medicine: Leger as a nurse and Rabinowitz as a doctor.