Dylann Roof, the man connected with killing nine people at a church in Charleston, S.C is now expected to face federal hate crime charges as well. The 21-year old is already looking at nine counts of murder in state court and could very well face the death penalty. However, F.B.I. state that the shooting was so tragic and racially motivated that it must be addressed.
Read more below.
Although South Carolina not have hate crime laws, federal official believe that a murder case alone would leave the racial component of the crime unaddressed. The Justice Department is also considering charging Roof with killing someone while obstructing religious freedom, which is a rarely used charge but is eligible under the death penalty.
The grand jury is expected to hand over the inducement Wednesday, although it was to clear just how much of an impact it would have on the state prosecution. The Justice Department has the option to keep the case on hold to see how the state case ends before deciding weather to proceed or not.
Roof’s internet manifesto proves that his crime was racially motivated. It reads, “I have no choice,I am not in the position to, alone, go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to Whites in the country. 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.”
Source NYTimes
