Pittsburg, PA

Jury deliberations to resume in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial

Published

2 years ago

June 16, 2023

Jury deliberations to resume in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Jurors will return to the federal courthouse this morning to resume deliberations over the guilt of the accused gunman in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting where 11 worshippers were killed in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

Jurors got the case yesterday afternoon and deliberated for nearly three hours before being sent home.

If the jury finds Robert Bowers guilty, there will be a one week break before the sentencing phase begins.

That’s where prosecutors will argue the death penalty is warranted, while the defense argue that the gunman’s life should be spared.

The 10.27 Healing Partnership says they’re offering support to the community daily through the court proceedings.

“Because what we’ve seen through this field phase is really a horrific act of antisemitism,” Maggie Feinstein said. “Jews from all over have felt the vicarious trauma of the event and people who truthfully worship in any house of worship and understand the violation that happened have been coming much more. We see a lot more people in our offices. We have drop-in counseling, we invite people to come.”

Recapping the trial

As testimony wrapped up during the third week of the trial, prosecutors focused on social media posts by the accused gunman with the CEO’s of HIAS and the social media site Gab each called to the stand.

In the first two weeks of trial, the prosecution has been fulfilling its burden of proving the defendant is responsible for the deaths of 11 people and the wounding of several others. And while there is little doubt of that, the government has another aim: showing he willfully, knowingly and brutally slaughtered innocent people — a hate crime based on their religion — and that his actions merit the death penalty.

To that end, the government has focused on the human toll, presenting the heart-wrenching testimony of survivors of the attack who witnessed the brutal slaying of their fellow congregants and narrowly escaped death themselves. The government did not spare the jury graphic images — crime scene and autopsy photos — saying they were necessary to establish the “force” and “malice” of the defendant who shot the defenseless victims at close range with an AR-15 military-style rifle.

“It’s necessary for the very purpose of this whole proceeding which is to move this jury to the death penalty,” said Bruce Antkowiak, a law professor at St. Vincent College.

With the first of police witnesses, close to a dozen officers testified they did not hesitate and went immediately and directly into the building and towards the gunfire — several paying a heavy price for their valor. The alleged gunman is charged specifically with causing bodily injury to safety officers. The government will later argue the death penalty is merited on all these accounts.

Jurors heard testimony Tuesday about the alleged gunman’s social media presence, which prosecutors said shows his hatred for Jews.

Evan Browne, a tactical analyst with the FBI, took to the witness stand Tuesday, reading hundreds of posts that investigators say the gunman published to Gab.com, some with hundreds of “likes.”

Support is available for those in need during the trial

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health effects from the trial, go to 1027healingpartnership.org to find help resources. As always, call 911 to report threats.

Phone: 412-697-3534
Email: info@1027HealingPartnership.org
Website: 1027healingpartnership.org

More resources can be found here.

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Pittsburg, PA

Stick a fork in the Pittsburgh Steelers

Published

4 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

As I sit here feeling a headache form in between sips of egg nog in my new Ice Nine Kills sweatshirt, I’ve written, erased, and rewritten the opener for this six times. What can even be said after what we just watched other than “Yeah, this team isn’t going anywhere.”

From the opening drive, these were the same Steelers we’ve seen the last two weeks – unorganized, unmotivated, and a complete non-threat to teams that are actually contenders in the AFC.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the Steelers punted on their first two drives that spanned a combined eight plays. The Steelers weren’t down and out yet, though. A quick drive that featured several big Jaylen Warren runs got them into the red zone in three plays. Warren ran into the end zone, but a holding call on Darnell Washington brought it back. The next play, Russell Wilson threw an interception to Justin Reid and that all but sealed the deal. Even when Wilson ran in for a score to make the lead 13-7, it never really felt like the Steelers would take the game by the horns and make a statement. The only statement they made is that they remain a second-class team.

Even when they owned time of possession, they didn’t do anything with the ball. They had the ball for 31:22, but their two turnovers plus a turnover on downs did them in. They ran the ball well, as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both finished with over 70 yards and the team accumulated over 200 yards on the day. But five Russell Wilson sacks and a lackluster passing game were Pittsburgh’s undoing offensively.

Defensively, this team is lost. After the first two scores, multiple players are throwing up their hands in confusion wondering what happened. They didn’t register a sack on Mahomes, they gave up 320 yards through the air, and allowed 16 first downs via Mahomes’ arm. This is not a good defense, and they lack any sort of aggressiveness to try and help the back end with pressure. Now at 10-6 and losers of three straight, Pittsburgh will likely be the No. 5 seed and travel to Houston or Baltimore for the wild card round, and nothing they’ve shown over the last month gives anyone any reason to believe they’d win. Stick a fork in the Pittsburgh Steelers, this isn’t a serious football team.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day History: Record, Statistics, & More

Published

14 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day History: Record, Statistics, & More

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day as part of a two-game showcase on Netflix.

A Brief History of the Steelers on Christmas Day

Wednesday’s matchup against the Chiefs will only be the third time the Steelers have played on Christmas Day in their history. Pittsburgh played on consecutive Christmas Days in 2016 and in ’17. They hold a 2–0 record on Christmas, beating the Baltimore Ravens in ’16 and the Houston Texans in ’17. A win over the Chiefs this year would allow the Steelers to keep their undefeated Christmas record.

The NFL first played Christmas games in 1971 when hosting two matchups: Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins. The league took a long break from hosting Christmas Day games until 1989. The NFL didn’t consistently showcase Christmas Day games until somewhat recently. Games on the holiday used to happened every few years or so, but now there’s been at least one if not more Christmas Day games every year since 2020.

The 2022 and ’23 seasons saw three Christmas Day games each, the most ever hosted on the holiday. It’s more rare for the NFL to have Christmas games compared to the long-standing tradition of Thanksgiving games.

Key Moments in Steelers’ Christmas Day History

The Steelers’ first Christmas Day game back in 2016 vs. the Ravens was one for the history books. Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title after former receiver Antonio Brown scored a four-yard touchdown with nine seconds left in the game to give the Steelers a 31–27 victory. It’s always a huge win when the Steelers beat their AFC North rivals, but it helps that a playoff spot was on the line, too. Pittsburgh advanced to the AFC Championship that season, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl championship-winning New England Patriots.

The Steelers’ 2017 Christmas Day matchup vs. the Texans the following year wasn’t as nail-biting as Pittsburgh dominated 34–6. The Steelers scored four touchdowns in the game compared to the Texans’ one touchdown, which resulted in no two-point conversion. The Steelers would go on to lose in the wild-card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s been so long since the Steelers have played in a Christmas Day game, though, as former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the team to both of these key wins mentioned above. The Steelers are on their fourth starting quarterback since Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.

By the Numbers: Steelers’ Christmas Day Record

The Steelers hold a 2–0 record on Christmas Day.

Year Advertisement	Opponent	Result
2016	Baltimore Ravens	W, 31–27 Advertisement
2017	Houston Texans	W, 34–6

Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during the win over the Ravens. Running back Le’Veon Bell carried the ball 20 times for 122 yards and one touchdown. And, another blast from the past, Brown caught the ball 10 times for 96 yards and one touchdown.

Both Roethlisberger and Bell showed out for the Steelers in 2017, too. The quarterback threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, while the running back carried the ball 14 times for 69 yards and one touchdown. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster led the Steelers with six catches for 75 yards and one touchdown in the contest. Brown missed the game due to injury.

Steelers’ Christmas Day Heroes

As mentioned above, both Roethlisberger and Bell appeared as heroes for the Steelers in both previous Christmas Day games. Brown, too, is considered the hero of the 2016 game as he scored the final touchdown to seal the win.

Memorable Rivalries and Matchups

Rivalry games are often showcased during the Christmas Day matchups. The Steelers were a part of that narrative in 2016 when playing against the Ravens, but this year the Steelers and Ravens will be playing in different Christmas games. The Ravens will be playing the Texans after the Steelers–Chiefs game.

The Chiefs have appeared in multiple rivalry Christmas Day games against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2004 and ’23, and also against the Denver Broncos in 2016. Kansas City holds a 2–2 record on Christmas Day.

The Christmas Day games often hold playoff implications for teams as the games are played near the end of the regular season. Before the 18-week season, the Christmas Day games were sometimes the last games of the season for some teams. However, both the Steelers and Chiefs clinched playoff spots already. The Steelers will need to win in order to keep the top AFC North seed, especially if the Ravens beat the Texans.

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