Accused Church Shooter Dylann Roof Showed 'Tremendous Hatred' and 'Must Be Held Accountable,' Prosecutor Says

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ABC News(CHARLESTON, S.C.) —  Dylann Roof showed “tremendous cowardice” and “tremendous hatred” when he gunned down nine helpless worshippers at a Charleston, South Carolina, church in June 2015, the prosecution said Thursday in its closing arguments for Roof’s federal death penalty trial.

Roof, who is white, is accused of fatally shooting nine black parishioners during a Bible study at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015. Roof, 22, allegedly entered the church armed and “with the intent of killing African-Americans engaged in the exercise of their religious beliefs,” according to the federal indictment against him.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Williams began the prosecution’s closing arguments by describing church as a sanctuary, “a place of fellowship where old friends met at a Bible study,” local ABC affiliate WCIV reported. Williams said hatred doesn’t have a place in such a venue, according to WCIV.

But nonetheless, Roof felt hatred and targeted the church, Williams said, according to WCIV. “It was a cold and calculated hatred that had been developing for months … that had been seeking out the most vulnerable people to target,” Williams said of Roof, WCIV reported. “He sat there with them and he waited until they were at their most vulnerable.”

Williams continued: “When they stood to pray, when they had their eyes closed … in those actions we see exactly who this defendant is. … A man whose actions show him to be a man of tremendous cowardice, shooting them when their eyes were closed, shooting them when they were on the ground.”

 Williams said that Roof believes black people are a problem for America and that he thinks society should go back to a time that was “one of the most dismal and shameful in this country’s history,” referring to slavery, WCIV reported.

Williams pointed to Roof’s manifesto, in which he said Roof identified himself as the one who had to act, according to WCIV. “We’ve seen in these writings a racist retribution,” said Williams. “[Roof] literally wants there to be a race war.”

Next, Williams spoke about the steps Roof took to prepare for his deadly rampage, according to WCIV. Roof worked to find “the most vulnerable people to attack,” Williams said, WCIV reported, saying Roof scouted out the church. Roof considered a black festival, but ultimately decided against it because of the security, Williams said. So instead, he turned to a church, Williams said, according to WCIV, and began stockpiling ammunition.

On June 17, Roof drove to the church, taking a route he’d practiced before, Williams said, WCIV reported. The church he chose, Emanuel AME, was at the top of a list of possible targets, Williams said, according to WCIV.

“That tells you the depth, the vastness of his hatred,” Williams said, WCIV reported.

Williams then asked how someone could shoot a person on the ground. “The answer, in part, is because he thinks they’re less than human,” Williams said, according to WCIV.

And the worst part of Roof’s hatred, Williams said, is that he carried out his attack in a church, WCIV reported. Roof drove for 90 minutes to Charleston, then sat outside Emanuel AME for 28 minutes before going inside, Williams said, according to WCIV. He was “planning and preparing for what he was about to do,” Williams said. Then he loaded his gun and went inside, Williams said.

For 40 minutes, Roof sat with his victims, laughing, before eventually opening fire, Williams said, according to WCIV. “For every round he fired, for every person he killed, he must be held accountable,” Williams said, WCIV reported.

Williams then pointed out that each victim was shot repeatedly, according to WCIV. “Shooting round after round after round shows … immense hatred,” Williams said, WCIV reported. He commended the bravery of those who faced Roof as he fired, including victim Tywanza Sanders, who tried to draw Roof’s attention away from the other people in the church, Williams said, according to WCIV.

During his video “confession,” Roof laughed over and over, Williams said, WCIV reported, “and that shows just how vast that hatred was [as well].”

“This defendant’s hatred was overwhelming… it was horrifically violent,” Williams said, according to WCIV.

But Roof’s nine victims triumphed over his hatred, Williams continued, WCIV reported. “[Roof] thought it would spread his message of hate, but that message was stopped by their goodness.”

He added: “That church was a sanctuary because these good people created a sanctuary. And this defendant’s hatred has no place in that sanctuary.”

Williams concluded by asking the jury to find Roof guilty of every count, according to WCIV.

The defense will speak next.

The 33 federal counts against Roof include hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of exercise of religion resulting in death. If convicted, Roof faces the death penalty.

Roof has pleaded not guilty.

He also faces a state trial, set for early next year, in which he may also face the death penalty.

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