Editing Robert Bowers (section)

==Background==
===Childhood and high school years===
Bowers reportedly had a very turbulent childhood. His parents divorced when he only a year old and his father committed suicide when he was six. His mother got remarried to a Florida man when he was a toddler, and he lived with them in Florida until they separated a year after their marriage. Upon returning to Pennsylvania, Robert and his mother lived with his mother's parents in Whitehall. His grandparents took responsibility for raising him, because his mother suffered from health problems. Bowers attended Baldwin High School in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District from August 1986 to November 1989. He then dropped out of high school and worked as a trucker.

Little is known of his life between the time he dropped out of high school and the period before and during the time he committed the shooting, so it can be assumed that he kept a low profile. Neighbors described Bowers as "a ghost" and said he rarely interacted with others.

===Political and religious beliefs===
Bowers' political and religious beliefs played a large role in the massacre. He was staunchly and fanatically conservative and was a fierce white nationalist, and was also involved in the [[Christian Identity]] movement. He was a believer in [[Anti-Semitism|antisemitic]] conspiracy theories and had a profile on Gab, a social media network favored by the far-right.<ref>[https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/10/31/18034256/anti-semitism-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-prejudice-right Tree of Life shooting: How the rise of conspiracy theory politics emboldens anti-Semitism], ''Vox''</ref>

His posts on Gab have included many hateful things about Jews, such as "Jews are the children of Satan." He re-shared many Neo-[[Nazi Party|Nazi]] posts and made frequent use of the racial slur "kike", and there is even one recorded use of him saying "Heil [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]!" Other posts made reference to the [[Fourteen Words]], the [[Great Replacement / White Genocide|Great Replacement]] theory, and [[Holocaust denial]].<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pennsylvania-shooting-suspect/who-is-robert-bowers-the-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-suspect-idUSKCN1N10S6 Who is Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect?], ''Reuters''</ref> He was also known to attack African-Americans with racial slurs and images related to [[lynching]], and also attacked women who have relationships with black men.<ref>[http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/what-we-know-about-robert-bowers-alleged-synagogue-shooter.html What We Know About Robert Bowers, Alleged Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter], ''New York Magazine''</ref> He also used his online accounts to post conspiracy theories regarding Jewish investor and philanthropist George Soros.<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/robert-bowers-is-neo-nazi-who-posted-about-killing-jews-on-gab?via=desktop&social=Linkedin Pittsburgh Synagogue Suspect Robert Bowers Hated Trump—for Not Hating Jews], ''The Daily Beast''</ref>

Somewhat ironically, Bowers was known to ridicule supporters of [[Donald Trump]] as well as followers of [[QAnon]]. He accused Trump of being a "globalist puppet of the Jews",<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/who-robert-bowers-suspect-identified-pittsburgh-tree-life-synagogue-shooting-1190440 Who is Robert Bowers? Suspect identified in the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting], ''Newsweek''</ref> and believed that QAnon adherents were "deluded" and "being tricked."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/27/pittsburgh-shooting-suspect-antisemitism Pittsburgh shooting: suspect railed against Jews and Muslims on site used by 'alt-right'], ''The Guardian''</ref>

In the weeks before the shooting, Bowers made antisemitic posts directed at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) who sponsored National Refugee Shabbat of October 19–20, in which Dor Hadash and Tree of Life participated. He claimed Jews were aiding members of Central American caravans moving towards the United States border and referred to members of those caravans as "invaders".<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/27/us/pittsburgh-synagogue-active-shooter/index.html Hate crime charges filed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 dead], ''CNN''</ref> Shortly before the attack, in an apparent reference to immigrants to the United States, he posted on Gab that "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."<ref>[https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/10/pittsburgh-synagogue-comes-amid-surge-anti-semiticism/574180/ The Synagogue Killings Mark a Surge of Anti-Semitism], ''The Atlantic''</ref>