Pittsburgh synagogue massacre: Suspect Robert Bowers appears in court in wheelchair

Sky News

The man accused of shooting 11 people dead in a Pittsburgh synagogue has appeared in court in a wheelchair to face charges.

Robert Bowers, 46, who was shot and wounded in a gun battle with police, was released from hospital on Monday morning and turned over to authorities.

He was wheeled into a courtroom a few hours later and was ordered to be held without bail for a preliminary hearing on Thursday.

Prosecutors will then outline their case against him.

Bowers talked with two-court appointed lawyers, went over documents, and confirmed his identity to a judge.

The alleged gunman, who is facing 29 charges, said little more than “yes” a few times during the hearing.

At one point courtroom staff freed one of his hands from cuffs so he could sign paperwork.

Prosecutors set in motion plans to seek the death penalty against the truck driver, with the killing at the Tree of Life Synagogue believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in US history.

Authorities claim he expressed hatred of Jewish people during the massacre on Saturday, and told police afterwards: “I just want to kill Jews” and “all these Jews need to die”.

Bowers was taken to the Allegheny General Hospital after the shooting, where he is said to have been treated by a Jewish nurse.

The hospital’s president Dr Jeff Cohen, who is a member of the Tree of Life synagogue, told CNN: “Isn’t it ironic that somebody who is yelling in the ambulance and in the hospital ‘I want to kill all the Jews’, is taken care of by a Jewish nurse, and it’s a Jewish hospital president that comes in to check on him.”

Bowers was charged with nearly 30 offences on Sunday that included hate crimes and weapons offences.

He was also charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation.