On June 17, 2015, nine innocent African Americans lost their lives in the midst of prayer. On this day, a shooting broke through that angered a nation and reminded us of the horrific racism that continues to plague our nation. In Charleston, South Carolina, the African Methodist Episcopal Church was attacked by a self-proclaimed white nationalist by the name of Dylann Roof. On December 7, 2016, Dylann Roof’s death penalty trial began, and Dylann’s confessions throughout this trial only reaffirmed the notion that white supremacy is disgustingly alive and well in the hearts of those continuously inspired by injustices of the past.
The day of the shooting, surveillance video showed Roof walking into the infamous African American church with a .45 Glock pistol and seven magazines to conceal his rounds of ammunition. Roof sat beside pastor Clementa Pinckney for 45 minutes watching a bible study before firing around 70 rounds once the attendants closed their eyes for a final prayer.
In the confession videos that were recently released to the public on the third day of his testimony, Roof stated he picked the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church because he “knew that would be a place to get a small amount of black people in one area.” He also stated he “had to do it because somebody had to,” and that “blacks are raping and killing white people on the streets every day… what [he] did is still minuscule to what they’re doing to white people every day.”
Apart from the confession videos that were recorded by the FBI, a journal depicting his motives was also found in his car. Within the journal, Roof wrote: “we have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me.” Roof also admitted to being inspired by the killing of Trayvon Martin.
Despite Roof’s confession to the overtly racist manslaughter of nine individuals, a trial is underway due to the government pushing for death penalty. The first phase of the trial is for juries to declare innocent or guilty, the second phase is for determining means of punishment.
Roof is currently facing 33 federal charges including “nine counts of violating the Hate Crime Act resulting in death; three counts of violating the Hate Crime Act involving an attempt to kill; nine counts of obstruction of exercise of religion resulting in death; three counts of obstruction of exercise of religion involving an attempt to kill and use of a dangerous weapon; and nine counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence.”