DYLANN Roof, the suspect in the June 17 massacre shooting in Charleston, SC, has been indicted by a grand jury on nine counts of murder and three new counts of attempted murder, according to a prosecutor.
Roof opened fire at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church during an evening Bible study group, killing nine, including the church’s pastor.
Roof, a white 21-year-old who has been linked to racist views and white supremacist organizations, has already been charged by state warrants with the nine murder counts and one count of possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
“Three additional attempted murder charges related to people who survived the shooting were presented to the grand jury,” said local prosecutor, Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, who denied further comment. She noted that Roof is still innocent until proven guilty.
Around 8 pm on June 17, 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.”
“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, and the motive was still being investigated. 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.
Federal investigators have been examining a racist manifesto on a website that appears to have been written by Roof. The site featured a white supremacist screed and apparently photos of Roof, posing with the Confederate battle flag at Civil War landmarks.
“We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet,” the manifesto said. “Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me.”
Roof was arrested in North Carolina shortly after the attack.
“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,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch soon afterwards. “It is really premature to determine which is the best venue, either state or federal, to pursue this matter. The individual who committed these acts…will face justice.”
The massacre has brought fresh attention to nationwide, divisive issues of race and crime, and reignited a long-standing debate over gun control in a county where the right to own firearms is protected by the US Constitution. The case also ignited a heated debate about the ongoing prominence of Confederate flags and memorials across the South.
On Tuesday, July 7, the South Carolina Senate passed legislation to remove the Confederate battle flag that flies at the statehouse grounds, and has been denounced over and over again by critics as a symbol of white supremacy. Supporters of the flag deny that it has a racist meaning, arguing that it symbolizes the heritage of the South.
The bill must go through the state House of Representatives before it can be enacted. (Allyson Escobar/AJPress with reports from Reuters, Los Angeles Times)
