1. Deadliest Shooting Against the Jewish Community in the United States
Gunshots and anti-Semitic expressions rang out on Saturday morning in Pittsburg at the Tree of Life Synagogue. The peaceful service was ongoing as Robert D. Bowers opened fire on the crowd, killing eleven and injuring more. On Wednesday, during Bowers’ first court appearance, he pleaded not guilty to the 44 counts of murder, hate crimes and other charges. Asking for a jury trial, Bowers is now at risk for the death penalty, which prosecutors are seeking. The upcoming trial is anticipated to last three to four weeks, with countless amounts of testimony ahead.
2. Tennessee executes by electric chair for the first time since 2007
Convicted of double murder in 1983, Edmund Zagorski argued that lethal injection was unconstitutional and asked for execution by the electric chair. In recent weeks, appeals were made to delay the execution which was denied by the United States Supreme Court on Thursday. Moments before the execution, Zagorski was asked if he had any last words. To which he simply replied, “Let’s rock.”
3. Whitey Bulger was beaten to death in prison
The infamous mobster and FBI informant, Whitey Bulger was beaten to death in prison and found dead on Thursday morning. Found wrapped in a blanket and placed on his bed, Whitey appeared to be sleeping until his body had been discovered. Once a member of the Irish Mob in Boston, Whitey had been transferred this month to a facility in West Virginia. One suspect in his killing was a fellow inmate also serving a life sentence in the same facility.
4. Google Employees walk out
Frustrated and fed up, Google employees around the world staged a walk out on Thursday morning, protesting how the company has mishandled sexual harassment cases. In an article published the week prior, the New York Times had broken the story of how Google has paid millions of dollars as “exit packages” for male executives who had been accused of sexual misconduct within the office.
5. 49ers Cheerleader kneels during national anthem
Nearly two years after Colin Kaepernick knelt for the first time during a national anthem at a football game, a 49ers’ cheerleader has done the same. As the first NFL cheerleader to kneel during a game, she wishes to remain anonymous but cites her action by saying that she is protesting police brutality against African Americans.