Church ‘shooter’ Dylann Roof fit to stand trial over Charleston church massacre
DYLANN Roof has been declared competent to stand trial over the killing of nine black worshippers at a South Carolina church.
DYLANN Roof has been declared competent to stand trial in the killing of nine black worshippers at a South Carolina church.
US District Judge Richard Mark Gergel said he was sealing a document detailing the factual reasons behind his finding. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday.
Public disclosure could put Roof’s right to a fair trial in jeopardy, he said.
Roof, 22, has been federally indicted on 33 counts related to nine murders in the June 2015 killings, some of those charges drawing on hate crime laws. Authorities say he walked into a Wednesday night Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and opened fire.
With the shootings, Roof intended to boost racial tensions, according to federal officials.
Instead South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley started a campaign to remove the confederate flag in South Carolina — a move that was embraced across the country.
Many retailers like Amazon stopped selling the flag.
US President Barack Obama attended the funeral of Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was one of the nine people killed.
The move is widely believed to be one of the most powerful moments of his presidency.
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