Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial: Tense testimony when founder of Gab takes the stand
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Jurors in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial were back in the courtroom Monday morning.
The first eight days of the trial consisted of testimony from first responders and survivors of the shooting.
Court kicked off Monday morning for the third week of testimony in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial. They spent the entire morning talking about the weapons and ammunition used in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.
The point of the testimony is to prove that the weapons crossed state lines and were not manufactured in Pennsylvania. ATF expert Kevin Kauffman spoke and his testimony's intent was to show what attorneys call, "interstate nexus." That's important since this is being tried as a federal case.
They need to show that the suspect used weapons and ammunition that crossed state lines. The expert talked about the 12-gauge shotgun rifle and three Glocks that the suspect brought into the Tree of Life Synagogue that morning when he opened fire on the three congregations.
They expect to call several other witnesses, many of them retired FBI agents or ballistic experts. There were two, thus far, entered as expert witnesses.
President and CEO of HIAS testifies
On Monday, the court heard from the president and CEO of HIAS, the only local Jewish organization that helps resettle refugees.
It was the target of the gunman's criticism in the days and hours leading up to the attack. CEO Mark Hetfield testified it partners with Dor Hadash, one of the three congregations attacked that day.
The gunman shared a HIAS post about these refugees and the locations of the helpers with the caption, "Why hello there HIAS! You like to bring in hostile invaders to dwell among us? We appreciate the list of friends you have provided."
The gunman followed it up with a later post, just hours before the attack, that read, "HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."
The gunman made these posts on Gab, a social media platform its CEO created as a "free speech platform."
Gab CEO takes the stand
Andrew Torba, the found and CEO of Gab, took the stand Monday, and tense testimony followed.
The U.S. attorney asked Torba, "Can people post anti-Semitic content on your network?" Torba replied, "If protected by the First Amendment, yes they can."
Torba took the stand and said he contacted the FBI on Oct. 27, 2018, the day of the attack at the synagogue. He said he took steps to shut down the gunman's access to his account after learning about the shooting.
The gunman's account with the profile name "One Dingo" included a profile line that read: "Jews are the children of satan."
Things got heated Monday when the gunman's defense attorney started questioning Torba about his own posts. Asked if he's sure he doesn't also post anti-Semitic content, Torba responded, "I'm a Christian sir, I don't lie."
Recapping the trial
In these 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.
This week, the government is expected to focus on the defendant's planning and the reasons behind the attack -- his immersion in conspiracy theories about Jewish people on the dark web.
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.
