It’s has almost been 4 years since the horrific Charleston Church shooting in South Carolina. Leaving a total of 9 members dead at the hands of an unapologetic 22 year old white supremacist. It’s been a long and treacherously emotional road, but justice has finally been served.
According to #ABCNews Dylan Roof has officially been sentenced to receive the death penalty for the Charleston Church massacre. Roof will be the first individual to receive the death penalty for committing a hate crime in history. Sources have indicated that the Jury’s decision had to be unanimous in order for Roof to receive the death penalty. Their decision was directly derived from Roof’s closing statement to the jury where he stated: “I still feel like I had to do it.”
Sources state Roof addressed the Jury earlier that day with his own personal argument: I think that it’s safe to say that no one in their right mind wants to go into a church and kill people.”
He went on to say “In my confession to the FBI, I told them that I had to do it.”
“But obviously that’s not really true. I didn’t have to do it, and no one made me do it,” Roof continued by saying “What I meant when I said that was I felt like I had to do it, and I still feel like I had to do it.”
Reports read that Roof researched, carefully calculated and targeted the Emanuel AME Church months before visiting. It has been stated that Roof spent his birthday money to purchase the murder weapon. Roof entered the Church where he was welcomed to join in on prayer, he then awaited for everyone to close their eyes within their most vulnerable state and released fire. It’s also been stated that he captured photos and footage of the entire ordeal.
Assistant US attorney Jay Richardson has forwarded direct reasoning for the government’s sentencing: “He chose to videotape himself doing it so he could see the very last images these victims would see, he wanted to see what he would look like as he stood over them, executing them.”
“This is calculated. Misguided but thoughtful, he spent years acquiring this deep hatred, this deep hatred we would all like to believe could not exist in someone. But it does. You’ve seen it.”
Richardson states that after Roof executed these innocent people and fled the scene “he fully understood the horrific nature” of his crime.