Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial — live: Survivors recall hiding in closet as Robert Bowers faces death penalty

The gunman accused of murdering 11 in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 is now on trial in a federal courtroom in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On 27 October 2018, Robert Bowers, then 46, entered the synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood of the city armed with three handguns, an AR-15 rifle and a trove of magazines and ammunition.

Inside, he opened fire on congregants in what marks the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history.

Eight men and three women – aged from 54 to 97 – died in the massacre.

After numerous delays, the now-50-year-old is finally standing trial for more than 60 federal charges including obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death and hate crimes resulting in death.

During opening arguments on Tuesday, Mr Bowers’ attorneys admitted that he was responsible for the massacre but claimed that he acted on “an irrational motive” and had “misguided intent”.

Prosecutors meanwhile pointed out that, in the months leading up the shooting, the suspect had been spewing bigoted and antisemitic vitriol online.

If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Key Points

• Robert Bowers on trial for 2018 mass shooting

• Eleven victims killed in Tree of Life synagogue shooting

• Bowers faces death penalty if convicted

• Survivors recall hiding in closet to escape gunman

• Bullet-damaged prayer book and Torah rescued from Holocaust among evidence presented

Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog

Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:06 , Rachel Sharp

Follow all the latest updates here on the trial of Robert Bowers, the man accused of murdering 11 in a shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018

What we know about the Tree of Life shooting

Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:09 , Rachel Sharp

The trial of Robert Bowers, the man charged with perpetrating the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood of Pittsburgh in 2018, began with opening statements on Tuesday.

Mr Bowers, who is charged with 63 criminal counts, could face the death penalty if convicted. Here is a rundown of what we know about him and the crimes he is charged with committing.

Here’s what you need to know about the case:

Everything we know about Robert Bowers, defendant in the Tree of Life shooting

Who is Robert Bowers?

Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:14 , Rachel Sharp

Robert Bowers, born in 1972, was 46 years old at the time of the shooting. He had, by multiple accounts, a challenging childhood. His parents divorced when he was around one year old, and his father, Randall Bowers, died by suicide while awaiting trial on a rape charge six or so years later.

Mr Bowers was raised in large part by his grandparents in the Pittsburgh suburb of Whitehall and attended Baldwin High School for several years before dropping out and becoming a trucker. Mr Bowers’ colleagues and neighbours largely described him in the aftermath of the shooting as quiet and not memorable. One toldThe New York Times that she couldn’t even remember his name.

The shooting

Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:20 , Rachel Sharp

On 27 October 2018, Robert Bowers entered the synagogue where three separate services were underway involving the three different congregations that practised there, and began shooting.

The shooting reportedly lasted for roughly 20 mintues. Mr Bowers was allegedly armed with an assault rifle and three semi-automatic pistols. When police arrived at the synagogue about 10 minutes after Mr Bowers entered, he shot at them. He later engaged tactical teams who arrived at the synagogue in a fire fight, fleeing to a room on the third floor of the building after he was wounded.

Finally, nearly an hour-and-a-half after he entered the synagogue, Mr Bowers surrendered to law enforcement and recieved medical care for his gunshot wounds. He reportedly told a SWAT officer after surrendering that he wanted all Jews to die.

Robert Bowers’ pushed the Great Replacement theory and made antisemitic posts before shooting

Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:25 , Rachel Sharp

Robert Bowers was verbose online where he was radicalised and trafficked in white nationalist conspiracy theories.

Mr Bowers was a heavy user of the far right social networking platform Gab, where he promoted the Great Replacement theory and made antisemitic and racist posts.

Shortly before the shooting, Mr Bowers ranted against the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) for sponsoring a National Refugee Shabbat.

“HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” Mr Bowers wrote on the platform. “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

Who is Robert Bowers? The alleged antisemite on trial for Tree of Life synagogue shooting

Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

On 27, October, 2018, Robert Bowers, then 46, allegedly walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and began shooting at worshippers.

He allegedly killed 11 people before he was shot and wounded and surrendered to police. Mr Bowers now faces 63 federal counts, including 11 counts each of obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death as well as hate crimes resulting in death. He could face the death penalty if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

So who is Robert Bowers?

Find out here:

Who is Robert Bowers: Alleged antisemite on trial for Tree of Life synagogue shooting

Who were the victims?

Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:45 , Rachel Sharp

The shooting at Tree of Life traumatised the historically Jewish Squirrel Hill community and Jews across the nation. Eleven people were killed during the shooting and seven more were injured. The first people killed were the brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal. Jerry Rabinowitz, a physician, was killed after moving towards the sound of the shooting to see if anyone needed medical assistance.

The shooting was the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, and it carried a particular edge given that it was linked to HIAS’ work protecting and resettling refugees — work born out of the Jewish experience of persecution in Europe in the decades leading up to the Holocaust.

The people who lost their lives in the shooting were: Joyce Fienberg, 75, Richard Gottfried, 65, Rose Mallinger, 97, Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, Cecil and David Rosenthal, 59 and 54, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, 84 and 86, Daniel Stein, 71, Melvin Wax, 88, and Irving Younger, 69.

Pittsburgh Jewish community monitoring hate speech amid trial

Wednesday 31 May 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

The head of security for Pittsburgh’s Jewish community says there has been an “uptick in hate speech” on the internet, but no specific threats, in the early stages of the trial of the man accused of killing 11 worshippers at a synagogue here in 2018.

And Jewish leaders say that while the trial is bringing out the worst of extremists in some dark corners of the web, it’s also brought an outpouring of support from the community — ranging from law enforcement agencies helping with security to local food vendors collaborating to bring meals to victims’ families during the trial.

Shawn Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said officials have monitored “general chatter in support of the defendant ... and his hateful vitriol” on the internet. The materials “would turn anyone’s stomach,” she said.

Read more here:

Pittsburgh Jewish community monitoring hate speech amid trial of suspect in synagogue massacre

Opening arguments: The prosecution

Wednesday 31 May 2023 13:20 , Rachel Sharp

In the prosecution’s opening statement, lead prosecutor Soo C. Song told jurors that Robert Bowers was motivated by his hatred of Jewish people.

Pointing to social media posts made before the massacre, Ms Song said that the defendant wanted “to destroy, to kill and to defile” Jews.

“Jews are a cancer on the planet, Jews are evil creatures, Jews are pedophiles,” he had posted online before the attack.

That day, he then drove to the majority Jewish neighbourhood with an trove of weapons.

“Once he entered the synagogue the defendant began to hunt, he moved from room to room, upstairs and downstairs … looking for Jewish worshippers to kill,” she said.

The prosecutor described the attack in graphic detail, including how Mr Bowers shot one woman in the face as she tried to protect her daughter.

Opening arguments: The defence

Wednesday 31 May 2023 13:40 , Rachel Sharp

In her opening statement, Robert Bowers’ attorney Judy Clarke admitted that he went to Tree of Life in 2018 and “shot every person he saw” and said that “there is no making sense of this senseless act.

Mr Bowers caused extraordinary harm to many, many people.”

But Ms Clarke suggested that in Mr Bowers’ mind, he genuinely believed was trying to help people by targeting Jews. Mr Bowers’ lawyers have also claimed that he has epilepsy and schizophrenia.

Whether Mr Bowers would actually be killed by the state if convicted remains to be seen. President Joe Biden voiced his opposition to the death penalty when he ran for president in 2020, and Attorney General Merrick Garland placed a moritorium on all federal executions two years ago.

Bowers faces death penalty if convicted

Wednesday 31 May 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

If convicted, Robert Bowers could face the death penalty.

His attorneys had previously requested a plea deal for him to plead guilty in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table.

Prosecutors rejected the request, paving the way for the case to head to trial.

Trial day 2 begins

Wednesday 31 May 2023 14:46 , Graig Graziosi

Day two of the trial of Robert Bowers has begun in Pittsburgh.

Judge Robert Colville noted to attendees that a visitor to the courtroom yesterday was diagnosed with Covid-19. The judge assured those in attendance that the courtroom was cleaned and well ventilated.

ICYMI: Exhibits from the shooting

Wednesday 31 May 2023 15:28 , Graig Graziosi

Carol Black’s testimony reveals moment fellow worshiper was killed in front of her

Wednesday 31 May 2023 17:48 , Graig Graziosi

Carol Black, 71, a retired clinical audiologist, took the stand to share her experience on the day of the shooting.

She recalled Rabbi Jeffrey Myers telling her and others to hide in a small, dark closet as gunfire rang out throughout the building.

Another individual who was hiding with her, Mel Wax, 87, was partially in the doorway of the closet and partially in the connecting hallway.

After some time, Mr Wax thought the shooting might be over. He peaked around the door, but the shooter was in the sanctuary and fired at him. He fell to floor dying just inches from Ms Black’s feet.

Ms Black recalled having to step over his body and a pool of blood to exit the space after the shooting. She said she gave him a silent goodbye as she fled the building.

Her brother, Richard Gottfried, was also killed in the shooting.

Dan Leger recalls being shot in the chest during Tree of Life mass shooting

Wednesday 31 May 2023 18:44 , Graig Graziosi

Dan Leger was at the Tree of Life synagogue the day of the shooting.

After a recess for lunch, Mr Leger described his experiences during the attack.

He said he began to hear gunfire and instinctively moved toward the sound hoping to help others injured in the attack.

When he reached the lobby, the gunman shot him, hitting him in the chest. Mr Leger collapsed in a stairway.

He told the court he is a registered nurse, and realised he was losing the ability to breathe, and felt he was dying.

“I am a nurse, I have been with hundreds of people that were dying, I felt like I was dying,” he said.

Thankfully, he was rescued by SWAT officers and survived his injuries.

Dan Leger reveals the extent of the injuries he sustained during the Tree of Life mass shooting

Wednesday 31 May 2023 19:12 , Graig Graziosi

Dan Leger, who was shot in the chest during the Tree of Life mass shooting in Pittsburgh, testified on Wednesday, and told the jurors the extent of his injuries.

Mr Leger said his wounds left him unable to use his rectum, and noted that the wound ruptured his bladder.

He said he had to undergo multiple surgeries the day of the shooting to save his life. He again reiterated that the only reason he survived was thanks to the SWAT members who rescued him.

Barry Werber, who survived the shooting, says the gunman entered the room where he was hiding in the dark

Wednesday 31 May 2023 19:44 , Graig Graziosi

Another survivor of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue has taken the stand.

Barry Werber said he was one of the individuals hiding in the dark closet along with Carol Black and Mel Wax.

He corroborated Ms Black’s testimony that Mr Wax poked out of the door and was shot.

Mr Werber said after Mr Wax was shot, a dark figure stepped over the wounded man’s body and peered into the darkness of the room.

He said that he and Ms Black were hidden by the darkness in the room, and that the gunman left without discovering them.

ICYMI: Prosecutors rejected Bowers’ plea deal in exchange for removal of death penalty

Wednesday 31 May 2023 20:46 , Graig Graziosi

Prosecutors rejected a plea deal from accused mass shooter Robert Bowers defense team.

The deal would have removed the death penalty as a possible sentencing in exchange for Mr Bowers’ guilty plea.

Prosecutors said they intend to seek the death penalty if Mr Bowers is found guilty.

Custodian who survived mass shooting testifies, says he just wanted to see his grandson born

Wednesday 31 May 2023 21:15 , Graig Graziosi

August Siriano, a custodian at Tree of Life Synagogue, surivived on the day Robert Bowers allegedly attacked the place of worship.

He told the court Wednesday that he saw Cecil Rosenthal, who was killed in the shooting, lying face down on the floor after gunshots rang out.

He said he was scared during the encounter, and told the court he simply wanted to live to see his grandchild be born.

Chilling photos showing from Tree of Life synagogue shooting revealed at Robert Bowers murder trial

Wednesday 31 May 2023 21:37 , Graig Graziosi

Jurors sitting for the trial of accused Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooter Robert Bowers were shown photos of important — and in some cases, destroyed — objects at the crime scene on the first day of the alleged gunman‘s trial.

Mr Bowers is facing numerous charges for killing 11 people when police say he attacked the synagogue in October 2018.

Jurors were shown a few important items and locations from the synagogue to give them context for the rest of the trial. Among them were a Torah rescued from the Holocaust and the tiny bathroom where Rabbi Jeffrey Myers hid during the shooting.READ MORE:

Chilling photos revealed during Tree of Life shooting trial

Wednesday 31 May 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

What we know about the Tree of Life shooting

The trial of Robert Bowers, the man charged with perpetrating the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood of Pittsburgh in 2018, began with opening statements on Tuesday.

Mr Bowers, who is charged with 63 criminal counts, could face the death penalty if convicted. Here is a rundown of what we know about him and the crimes he is charged with committing.

Here’s what you need to know about the case:

Everything we know about Robert Bowers, defendant in the Tree of Life shooting

Who is Robert Bowers?

Wednesday 31 May 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi

Robert Bowers, born in 1972, was 46 years old at the time of the shooting. He had, by multiple accounts, a challenging childhood. His parents divorced when he was around one year old, and his father, Randall Bowers, died by suicide while awaiting trial on a rape charge six or so years later.

Mr Bowers was raised in large part by his grandparents in the Pittsburgh suburb of Whitehall and attended Baldwin High School for several years before dropping out and becoming a trucker. Mr Bowers’ colleagues and neighbours largely described him in the aftermath of the shooting as quiet and not memorable. One toldThe New York Times that she couldn’t even remember his name.

Robert Bowers’ pushed the Great Replacement theory and made antisemitic posts before shooting

Thursday 1 June 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi

Robert Bowers was verbose online where he was radicalised and trafficked in white nationalist conspiracy theories.

Mr Bowers was a heavy user of the far right social networking platform Gab, where he promoted the Great Replacement theory and made antisemitic and racist posts.

Shortly before the shooting, Mr Bowers ranted against the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) for sponsoring a National Refugee Shabbat.

“HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” Mr Bowers wrote on the platform. “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

The shooting

01:00 , Graig Graziosi

On 27 October 2018, Robert Bowers entered the synagogue where three separate services were underway involving the three different congregations that practised there, and began shooting.

The shooting reportedly lasted for roughly 20 mintues. Mr Bowers was allegedly armed with an assault rifle and three semi-automatic pistols. When police arrived at the synagogue about 10 minutes after Mr Bowers entered, he shot at them. He later engaged tactical teams who arrived at the synagogue in a fire fight, fleeing to a room on the third floor of the building after he was wounded.

Finally, nearly an hour-and-a-half after he entered the synagogue, Mr Bowers surrendered to law enforcement and recieved medical care for his gunshot wounds. He reportedly told a SWAT officer after surrendering that he wanted all Jews to die.

Who is Robert Bowers? The alleged antisemite on trial for Tree of Life synagogue shooting

02:00 , Graig Graziosi

On 27, October, 2018, Robert Bowers, then 46, allegedly walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and began shooting at worshippers.

He allegedly killed 11 people before he was shot and wounded and surrendered to police. Mr Bowers now faces 63 federal counts, including 11 counts each of obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death as well as hate crimes resulting in death. He could face the death penalty if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

So who is Robert Bowers?

Find out here:

Who is Robert Bowers: Alleged antisemite on trial for Tree of Life synagogue shooting

Who were the victims?

03:00 , Graig Graziosi

The shooting at Tree of Life traumatised the historically Jewish Squirrel Hill community and Jews across the nation. Eleven people were killed during the shooting and seven more were injured. The first people killed were the brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal. Jerry Rabinowitz, a physician, was killed after moving towards the sound of the shooting to see if anyone needed medical assistance.

The shooting was the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, and it carried a particular edge given that it was linked to HIAS’ work protecting and resettling refugees — work born out of the Jewish experience of persecution in Europe in the decades leading up to the Holocaust.

The people who lost their lives in the shooting were: Joyce Fienberg, 75, Richard Gottfried, 65, Rose Mallinger, 97, Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, Cecil and David Rosenthal, 59 and 54, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, 84 and 86, Daniel Stein, 71, Melvin Wax, 88, and Irving Younger, 69.

Pittsburgh Jewish community monitoring hate speech amid trial

04:00 , Graig Graziosi

The head of security for Pittsburgh’s Jewish community says there has been an “uptick in hate speech” on the internet, but no specific threats, in the early stages of the trial of the man accused of killing 11 worshippers at a synagogue here in 2018.

And Jewish leaders say that while the trial is bringing out the worst of extremists in some dark corners of the web, it’s also brought an outpouring of support from the community — ranging from law enforcement agencies helping with security to local food vendors collaborating to bring meals to victims’ families during the trial.

Shawn Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said officials have monitored “general chatter in support of the defendant ... and his hateful vitriol” on the internet. The materials “would turn anyone’s stomach,” she said.

Read more here:

Pittsburgh Jewish community monitoring hate speech amid trial of suspect in synagogue massacre

ICYMI: Opening arguments: The prosecution

04:59 , Graig Graziosi

In the prosecution’s opening statement, lead prosecutor Soo C. Song told jurors that Robert Bowers was motivated by his hatred of Jewish people.

Pointing to social media posts made before the massacre, Ms Song said that the defendant wanted “to destroy, to kill and to defile” Jews.

“Jews are a cancer on the planet, Jews are evil creatures, Jews are pedophiles,” he had posted online before the attack.

That day, he then drove to the majority Jewish neighbourhood with an trove of weapons.

“Once he entered the synagogue the defendant began to hunt, he moved from room to room, upstairs and downstairs … looking for Jewish worshippers to kill,” she said.

The prosecutor described the attack in graphic detail, including how Mr Bowers shot one woman in the face as she tried to protect her daughter.

ICYMI: Opening arguments: The defence

06:00 , Graig Graziosi

In her opening statement, Robert Bowers’ attorney Judy Clarke admitted that he went to Tree of Life in 2018 and “shot every person he saw” and said that “there is no making sense of this senseless act.

Mr Bowers caused extraordinary harm to many, many people.”

But Ms Clarke suggested that in Mr Bowers’ mind, he genuinely believed was trying to help people by targeting Jews. Mr Bowers’ lawyers have also claimed that he has epilepsy and schizophrenia.

Whether Mr Bowers would actually be killed by the state if convicted remains to be seen. President Joe Biden voiced his opposition to the death penalty when he ran for president in 2020, and Attorney General Merrick Garland placed a moritorium on all federal executions two years ago.

Bowers faces death penalty if convicted

07:00 , Graig Graziosi

If convicted, Robert Bowers could face the death penalty.

His attorneys had previously requested a plea deal for him to plead guilty in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table.

Prosecutors rejected the request, paving the way for the case to head to trial.

Trial day 2

08:00 , Graig Graziosi

Day two of the trial of Robert Bowers began in Pittsburgh on Wednesday morning.

Judge Robert Colville noted to attendees that a visitor to the courtroom yesterday was diagnosed with Covid-19. The judge assured those in attendance that the courtroom was cleaned and well ventilated.

ICYMI: Exhibits from the shooting

09:00 , Graig Graziosi

Here’s a look at some of the powerful evidence presented to the jury so far.

Carol Black’s testimony reveals moment fellow worshiper was killed in front of her

10:00 , Graig Graziosi

On day two of the trial, Carol Black, 71, a retired clinical audiologist, took the stand to share her experience on the day of the shooting.

She recalled Rabbi Jeffrey Myers telling her and others to hide in a small, dark closet as gunfire rang out throughout the building.

Another individual who was hiding with her, Mel Wax, 87, was partially in the doorway of the closet and partially in the connecting hallway.

After some time, Mr Wax thought the shooting might be over. He peaked around the door, but the shooter was in the sanctuary and fired at him. He fell to floor dying just inches from Ms Black’s feet.

Ms Black recalled having to step over his body and a pool of blood to exit the space after the shooting. She said she gave him a silent goodbye as she fled the building.

Her brother, Richard Gottfried, was also killed in the shooting.

Dan Leger recalls being shot in the chest during Tree of Life mass shooting

11:00 , Graig Graziosi

Mr Leger was at the Tree of Life synagogue the day of the shooting.

After a recess for lunch, Mr Leger described his experiences during the attack.

He said he began to hear gunfire and instinctively moved toward the sound hoping to help others injured in the attack. When he reached the lobby, the gunman shot him, hitting him in the chest. Mr Leger collapsed in a stairway.

He told the court he is a registered nurse, realised he was losing the ability to breathe and felt he was dying.

“I am a nurse, I have been with hundreds of people that were dying, I felt like I was dying,” he said.

Thankfully, he was rescued by SWAT officers and survived his injuries.

Dan Leger reveals the extent of the injuries he sustained during the Tree of Life mass shooting

12:00 , Graig Graziosi

Mr Leger also told the jurors about the extent of his injuries during his testimony on Wednesday.

He said his wounds left him unable to use his rectum and noted that the wound ruptured his bladder.

He said he had to undergo multiple surgeries the day of the shooting to save his life. He again reiterated that the only reason he survived was thanks to the SWAT members who rescued him.

Barry Werber, who survived the shooting, says the gunman entered the room where he was hiding in the dark

13:00 , Graig Graziosi

Another survivor of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue has taken the stand.

Barry Werber said he was one of the individuals hiding in the dark closet along with Carol Black and Mel Wax.

He corroborated Ms Black’s testimony that Mr Wax poked out of the door and was shot.

Mr Werber said after Mr Wax was shot, a dark figure stepped over the wounded man’s body and peered into the darkness of the room.

He said that he and Ms Black were hidden by the darkness in the room, and that the gunman left without discovering them.

Trial day three begins

14:53 , Graig Graziosi

The third day of the Robert Bowers trial began on Thursday.

The court released evidence that was used during yesterday’s testimony.

One photo shows a staircase — this is where Dan Leger collapsed after the gunman shot him in the abdomen. He recounted lying on the stairs and feeling as though he were about to die before SWAT officers rescued him. Mr Leger’s yarmulke can be seen on one of the steps.

Another room shows a narrow closet used for storage. That room was where Carol Black and Barry Weber hid in the dark from the gunman. Mel Wax was also in that room with them, but was shot and ultimately died when he poked his head out to see if the shooting was over.

15:00 , Graig Graziosi

Chilling photos showing from Tree of Life synagogue shooting revealed at Robert Bowers murder trial

Jurors sitting for the trial of accused Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooter Robert Bowers were shown photos of important — and in some cases, destroyed — objects at the crime scene on the first day of the alleged gunman‘s trial.

Mr Bowers is facing numerous charges for killing 11 people when police say he attacked the synagogue in October 2018.

Jurors were shown a few important items and locations from the synagogue to give them context for the rest of the trial. Among them were a Torah rescued from the Holocaust and the tiny bathroom where Rabbi Jeffrey Myers hid during the shooting.

READ MORE:

Chilling photos revealed during Tree of Life shooting trial

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman testimony

15:49 , Graig Graziosi

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman provided testimony early on Thursday.

He recalled helping Mel Wax, Carol Black, and Barry Werber hide in a dark closet while gunshots cracked elsewhere in the synagogue.

The rabbi eventually managed to escape when he found a door leading to a gutter. He managed to crawl across a neighbor’s lawn and call for police assistance.

Prosecutors asked Mr Perlman if he was still able to conduct services in the Tree of Life Synagogue despite the shooting.

He said “no.”

Stephen Weiss takes the stand

16:35 , Graig Graziosi

Stephen Weiss, a ritual director at the Tree of Life Synagogue, took the stand after Mr Perlman.

He recalled seeing the spent shell casings from the shooter's weapon before seeing the actual gunman, and leaning on the active shooter training he had previously taken to survive. He said once he saw the casings he began ushering other worshipers away from danger.

Mr Weiss said he raced through the maze-like halls of the facility as the shots were ringing out to deliver warnings to the congregants in other parts of the building.

He eventually managed to escape into an outdoor garden. From there he put space between himself and the facility while waiting for police to arrive.

Survivor received ALICE training a year before the shooting

17:00 , Graig Graziosi

Stephen Weiss, who testified on Thursday, previously spoke about undergoing active shooter training as part of his work with the synagogue.

In September 2017, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s then Community Security Director Brad Orsini insisted that educators in the organization — including Mr Weiss — take the training. Mr Weiss said at the time he was sceptical as to the efficacy of the course.

“My first thought was why do we need to worry about this?” he told the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. “This is such a waste of time.”

But he went anyway. A year later he used what he learned to help himself and others escape a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

On Thursday he testified to that fact at the trial of accused gunman Robert Bowers.