A white supremacist has been sentenced to death for killing nine black worshippers in a church in South Carolina in a racially motivated attack. Dylann Roof was found guilty of federal hate crimes.
He declined to plead for his life in front of jurors by saying:
“I still feel like I had to do it.”
Jurors also convicted the 22-year-old guilty of obstructing the exercise of religion for those he shot after sitting with them in a Bible study.
Roof stood with his hands at his side and his face emotionless, as a clerk read the verdict aloud in court. The court had heard he carried out the attack at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church wanting in June last year to ignite a war between the races.
The chilling moment Roof LAUGHED during a police interview as he confessed to shooting dead nine black Charleston churchgoers was released during the trial. He can be seen chuckling to himself during the video recording played in court.
As investigators questioned him over the mass killings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church – he can be heard to admit:
“Uh, I did it…”
Then, after Roof waived his rights, they pressed him further – asking him exactly what he had done?
He paused for around 30 seconds before replying bluntly:
“I killed them.”
Roof could be heard chuckling as he continued:
“Well, I killed them I guess.”
More then 60 bullets were sprayed around the interior of the building of the church, claiming the lives of a congregation with whom Roof had sat for the preceding bible study group on June 17 last year.
When questioned the next day a detective begins:
“Can you tell us about what happened last night?”
Roof sounds almost spaced out as he replies:
“Uhhhh… woo-hah… yeah… “I mean, I just… I went to that church in Charleston and, er… you know, I er… I did it.”
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