Charged with federal hate crimes
Roof is charged with 33 counts of hate crimes by a federal grand jury. The indictment says he targeted the victims on the basis of race, in a house of worship, “in order to make his attack more notorious”. Attorney General Lynch says the federal government has not decided if it will seek the death penalty if Roof is convicted and that officials will consider factors including the wishes of the families of the shooting victims. Lynch:
The parishioners had Bibles. Dylann Roof had his .45 caliber Glock pistol and eight magazines loaded with hollow point bullets.
Three attempted murder charges
South Carolina prosecutor files attempted murder charges against Roof. A state judge already has been appointed. Federal authorities have not said whether they will pursue hate crime charges against Roof.
Confesses, charged
Roof confesses that he is responsible for the shootings, and is charged with nine counts of murder and one count of illegal weapons possession. Roof tells police that he almost didn’t go through with the shootings because everyone was so nice to him, but he decided he had to “go through with his mission.” Roof’s cell at the detention facility is next to Michael Slager, the white South Carolina officer charged with murder for shooting Walter Scott, an unarmed black man.