Suspect caught by police after manhunt
THE historic city of Charleston, SC was hit with tragedy when an armed white male entered a black Methodist Episcopal church in downtown on the night of Wednesday, June 17th, shooting and killing nine, including the church’s pastor.
Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof from Lexington, SC. An intense manhunt for Roof was underway for a whole night after the fatal killings. According to law enforcement, Roof was discovered and taken into custody without resistance on Thursday, June 18 in Shelby, NC—about a 3 ½ hour drive from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was found armed with the gun, but officials were unsure if it was the same firearm he allegedly used in Wednesday night’s shooting.
Around 8 pm, Roof reportedly joined the prayer meeting at the AME church for about an hour, according to Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen, before opening fire on the group. The first call of gunshots to police came shortly after 9 pm.
“[Roof] entered the group and was accepted by them, as they believed that he wanted to join them in this Bible study,” Charleston County Coroner Rae Wilson said. Then, “he became very aggressive and violent.”
Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of the church pastor, said in an NBC News interview that among the victims, Roof spared one lone survivor in the group to “go tell everyone else what happened.”
The anonymous survivor told Johnson that he entered the church, asked for the pastor, and sat next to him before opening fire. Officials did not confirm the unnamed survivor in the group.
“I have to do it,” Roof was quoted as saying. “You [blacks] rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go.”
Police called the shooting a hate crime committed alone, which is furthermore being investigated. Chief Mullen did not discuss a motive. Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley called it “pure, pure concentrated evil.”
“The victims were killed because they were black,” said Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis on CNN.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch called for an official hate crime investigation by the Justice Department and the FBI.
“Acts like this one have no place in our country and no place in a civilized society. We will now be looking at all of the facts, all of the motivations that led this individual, if in fact he is the shooter, to carry out the killings…It is really premature to determine which is the best venue, either state or federal, to pursue this matter,” she said. “The individual who committed these acts…will face justice.”
Police released a flier with details and described the suspect as “a very dangerous individual.” Roof was driving in a black Hyundai, which officials believe he used as his getaway car. He was found and arrested after a traffic stop in North Carolina, prompted by an anonymous tip.
Roof waived an extradition from North Carolina and his right to counsel. Cleveland County Assistant Clerk Ruth Deviney confirmed that Roof was taken by FBI officers from the local courthouse, and is legally in the custody of the Shelby police. He wore a bullet-resistant vest over a white T-shirt, black jeans and brown boots, looking down and cooperating during his arrest.
State court records later revealed that the 21-year-old shooter had a pending felony drug case from March, and a misdemeanor trespassing charge from April. Authorities had no immediate details, and records list no attorney for him.
Roof’s Facebook profile picture shows him wearing a jacket decorated with the flags of two former white supremacist regimes in South Africa, and the once white-ruled nation of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He also proudly displayed Confederate emblems on his car. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in Alabama said Roof was not known to the agency, which tracks multiple supremacist organizations and extremists, and it is “unclear whether he is connected” to any.
“He appears to be disaffected white supremacist, based on his Facebook page,” said Richard Cohen, president of the SPLC, who added that the church attack is a reminder of the “very real” threat of homegrown extremism, post 9/11 World Trade Center bombings.
“Since 2000, the SPLC has seen an increase in the number of hate groups in the US.”
An official investigation is still pending, and police are trying to identify any private or public footage that may be useful.
Roof’s former best friend, Joseph Meek Jr., told press he was surprised by the attacks. He said they had lost touch for years until Roof reached out to him a few weeks ago on Facebook.
“All of a sudden out of the blue, he started talking about race. He started talking about Trayvon Martin and Freddie Gray. He said blacks were taking over the world. Someone needed to do something about it for the white race. He said he wanted segregation between whites and blacks…he kept talking about it,” Meek said.
On Thursday, June 18 Meek saw the surveillance-camera image of his friend on television and said he didn’t think twice about calling authorities, recognizing Roof’s sweatshirt.
“I didn’t THINK it was him. I KNEW it was him,” he said.
Broken hearts, but not broken spirits
“We woke up today and the heart and soul of South Carolina was broken,” SC Governor Nikki R. Haley said, through tears at a news conference.
“When hate happens, we come together, and that’s what we’ll do,” she continued. “So right now we grieve. And then we’ll heal. And when we heal, we end up stronger than we started.”
Eight people were dead at the scene, and one passed away en route to a hospital. The victims included six females and three males, who were identified by Charleston police. 41-year-old Rev. Clementa Pinckney was the church’s pastor, as well as an active state senator. The other victims included a recent university grad, a librarian, a college enrollment counselor, a longtime church employee, a high school track coach, and two other pastors.
The names of those killed are Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Cynthia Hurd, 54; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Sharonda Singleton, 45; Myra Thompson, 59; Ethel Lance, 70; Susie Jackson, 87; the Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; and DePayne Doctor, 49.
Charleston Coroner Rae Wooten said autopsies would be conducted over the next few days to determine how many times or where the victims were shot.
“There is no greater coward than a criminal who enters a house of God and slaughters innocent people engaged in the study of scripture,” a statement from the Georgia branch of the NAACP said.
Emanuel was described as the oldest AME church in the South, dating as far back as the late-1800s, and was listed by the National Park Service as a historically significant building. The congregation was originally formed by black members, but is known to be visited by everybody, especially tourists.
On Thursday afternoon, President Obama expressed “deep sorrow” over the deadly shooting at the historic predominantly black church. He personally knew one of the victims, the church’s pastor.
“There is something particularly heart breaking about a death happening in a place in which we seek solace and we seek peace, in a place of worship,” Obama said. “I’ve had to make statements like this too many times. To say our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families and community doesn’t say enough to communicate the heartache, sadness and anger that we feel.”
The President and Vice President Joe Biden have called the victims’ families and members of the community.
“Mother Emmanuel is in fact more than a church. This was a place of worship founded by African-Americans seeking liberty,” Obama said. “At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries.”
A steady stream of people brought flowers, notes, and shared sentimental thoughts at a growing memorial in front of the church.
“No one in [Charleston] will ever forget this night and as a result of this, because of the pain and hurt this individual has caused this entire community, the law enforcement agents are committed,” said Chief Mullen. “Of course we will make sure he pays the price for this horrible act.”
It was named the deadliest mass shooting in the US since September 2013, when 12 people were killed at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
Families of victims: “I forgive you”
In a video on Friday, June 19, Dylann Roof made his first appearance before a judge at a bond hearing and admitted he had terrorized and murdered the church goers for political purposes. According to officials and CNN, Roof’s motive behind the killings was “to start a race war.”
According to Charleston police, Roof was charged Friday afternoon with nine counts of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
At the bond hearing, Roof, appearing by video, started straight and solemnly as family members of each of the nine victims came forward giving testimony.
“I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you,” a daughter of Ethel Lance, a 70-year-old victim. “And have mercy on your soul. You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people but God forgives you, and I forgive you.”
“I forgive you, my family forgives you,” said Anthony Thompson. “We would like you to take this opportunity to repent. … Do that and you’ll be better off than you are right now.”
Magistrate Judge James B. Gosnell Jr. Gosnell set a $1 million bond on the weapon possession charge, but does not have the authority to set bond on the other nine counts of murder. That will be left up to a circuit judge later, according to the police department. In the meantime, Roof will be held in custody until his hearing on the murder charges.
SC Governor Nikki Haley said the state will “absolutely” want the death penalty. The chief prosecutor in Charleston County will talk to families and review evidence before making any decision on whether to seek the execution.
Solicitor Scarlett Wilson also said that her office is “working hand-in-hand with federal prosecutors” to review whether or not the mass-murder fits the federal definition of a hate crime.
“We have no room for hate. We have to forgive,” said Bethane Middleton-Brown, who appeared in court on behalf of her sister, the Rev. DePayne Middleton Doctor. “I pray God on your soul. And I also thank God I won’t be around when your judgment day comes with him.” (With reports from Associated Press, KTLA5, New York Times, ABC News)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend June 20 – 23, 2015 Sec A pg.6)
