Bernice Ruth Rothenberg Simon, an 84-year-old female, and her husband of 62 years, Sylvan Simon, were tragically killed on Saturday, October 27, 2018, in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The couple were at the synagogue for Shabbat morning services, a place where they had been married decades earlier.
The attack was carried out by a lone gunman, Robert Bowers, who entered the synagogue armed with a semi-automatic
rifle and three pistols. Bowers opened fire on the congregation, shouting antisemitic slurs. Bernice Simon made the first 911 call from the synagogue to report that her husband had been shot. After shooting Sylvan Simon, the gunman momentarily left the chapel. When he returned, Bernice was on the phone with 911 while holding her dying husband. Bowers then shot and killed her.
In total, eleven people were killed in what has been described as the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The victims ranged in age from 54 to 97 and included two brothers and the Simons.
The perpetrator, Robert Gregory Bowers, a 46-year-old at the time of the attack, was arrested at the scene after a shootout with police. His motives were linked to antisemitism and white supremacist beliefs. Bowers was charged with 63 federal crimes and 36 state crimes. In federal court, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death.
