Dylann roof convicted of charleston church shooting
Dylann Roof was convicted of the murder of nine African American worshipers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2015. The shooting was a hate crime and a mass shooting that sparked widespread outrage and grief.
Roof, who was 21 years old at the time of the shooting, was arrested on June 18, 2015, after a brief car chase. He was charged with nine counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and other crimes.
The trial began on November 7, 2016, and lasted for several weeks. The prosecution presented evidence that Roof had planned and carried out the shooting, which was motivated by his white supremacist beliefs. The defense argued that Roof was not guilty by reason of insanity, citing his mental health issues and his history of drug use.
On December 15, 2016, the jury delivered a guilty verdict on all 33 counts, including nine counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and other crimes. Roof was also found guilty of hate crime charges, which carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
On January 10, 2017, Roof was sentenced to death for the murders. The judge also sentenced him to nine consecutive life terms for the attempted murders, and to additional prison time for other crimes.
Roof's case drew widespread attention due to the brutal nature of the crime, the racial motivations behind it, and the fact that it was carried out in a place of worship. The shooting was widely condemned by people of all backgrounds, and it sparked a national conversation about racism, gun violence, and the need for greater tolerance and understanding.
Roof is currently on death row at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, where he is awaiting execution.