Upon their return to Pennsylvania, Robert and his mother lived with his mother's parents in Whitehall, a suburb of Pittsburgh. His maternal 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 dropped out of high school before graduation and worked as a trucker.Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Nov 1, 2018. "A high school dropout and trucker, Robert Bowers left few footprints — except online" New York Times, Oct 28, 2018, "Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre Suspect Was 'Pretty Much a Ghost'" Neighbors described Bowers as "a ghost" who rarely interacted with others.
