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Charleston church shooting

February 16, 2024

"2015 Charleston shooting" redirects here. For the fatal shooting by a North Charleston police officer, see Killing of Walter Scott.

The Charleston church shooting, also known as the Charleston church massacre, was an anti-black mass shooting and hate crime that occurred on June 17, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people were killed, and a tenth was injured, during a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest black church in the southern United States. Among the fatalities was the senior pastor, state senator Clementa C. Pinckney. All ten victims were African Americans. At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting at a place of worship in U.S. history and is the deadliest mass shooting in South Carolina history.

Charleston church shooting
Part of mass shootings in the United States, domestic terrorism in the United States and racism against African Americans
People mourning the deaths at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church; image taken June 20 (three days post-shooting)
Charleston
Charleston church shooting (South Carolina)
Charleston church shooting (the United States)
Charleston, South Carolina
LocationEmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Coordinates32°47′15″N 79°55′59″W / 32.78750°N 79.93306°W / 32.78750; -79.93306
DateJune 17, 2015; 8 years ago (2015-06-17)
c. 9:05 – c. 9:11 p.m. (EDT)
TargetAfrican American churchgoers at a church congregation
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder, domestic terrorism, right-wing terrorism, hate crime
WeaponsGlock 41 .45-caliber handgun
Deaths9
Injured1
PerpetratorDylann Storm Roof
Motive
VerdictGuilty on all counts
Convictions
  • 33 federal counts
  • 13 state counts
[a]
TrialUnited States of America v. Dylann Storm Roof
SentenceFederal
Death (de jure)
State
9 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole plus 95 years

Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white supremacist, had attended the Bible study before opening fire. He was found to have targeted members of this church because of its history and status. In December 2016, Roof was convicted of 33 federal hate crime and murder charges. On January 10, 2017, he was sentenced to death for those crimes.[1][2] Roof was separately charged with nine counts of murder in the South Carolina state courts. In April 2017, Roof pleaded guilty to all nine state charges in order to avoid receiving a second death sentence, and as a result, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He will receive automatic appeals of his death sentence, but he may eventually be executed by the federal justice system.[3][4]

Roof espoused racial hatred in both a website manifesto which he published before the shooting, and a journal which he wrote from jail afterward. On his website, Roof posted photos of emblems which are associated with white supremacy, including a photo of the Confederate battle flag. The shooting triggered debates about modern display of the flag and other commemorations of the Confederacy. Following these murders, the South Carolina General Assembly voted to remove the flag from State Capitol grounds and a wave of Confederate monument or memorial removals followed shortly thereafter.

Background edit

Founded in 1816, the church has played an important role in the history of South Carolina, including the slavery era and Reconstruction, the civil rights movement, and Black Lives Matter.[5] It is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in the South, often referred to as "Mother Emanuel". The AME Church was founded by Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1814 as the first independent black denomination.[6] It is a historically black congregation, one of the oldest south of Baltimore.[7][8]

When one of the church's co-founders, Denmark Vesey, was suspected of plotting to launch a slave rebellion in Charleston in 1822, 35 people, including Vesey, were hanged and the church was burned down.[9][10] Charleston citizens accepted the claim that a slave rebellion was expected to begin at the stroke of midnight on June 16, 1822, and it was expected to erupt the following day (the shooting in 2015 occurred on the 193rd anniversary of the thwarted uprising).[11] As the rebuilt church was formally shuttered with other all-black congregations by the city in 1834, the congregation met in secret until 1865 when it was formally reorganized, and it acquired the name Emanuel ("God with us").[12] It was rebuilt based on a design which was drawn by Denmark Vesey's son.[11] That structure was badly damaged in the 1886 Charleston earthquake.[13][14] The current building dates from 1891.[11][12]

The church's senior pastor, the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, had held rallies after the shooting of Walter Scott by a white police officer two months earlier, in nearby North Charleston. As a state senator, Pinckney pushed for legislation requiring police to wear body cameras.[15]

Several commentators noted that a similarity existed between the massacre at Emanuel AME and the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing of a politically active African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, where the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) killed four black girls and injured fourteen others, during the civil rights movement. This attack galvanized support for federal civil rights legislation.[14][16]

Numerous scholars, journalists, activists and politicians have emphasized their belief that the attack should not be treated as an isolated event because in their view, it occurred within the broader context of racism against Black Americans and racism in the United States. In 1996, Congress had passed the Church Arson Prevention Act, which considers the damaging of religious property a federal crime because of its "racial or ethnic character", in response to a spate of 154 suspicious church burnings which had occurred since 1991.[17][18] More recent arson attacks against black churches included a black church in Massachusetts that was burned down the day after the first inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009.[19][20][21][22]

Shooting edit

At around 9:05 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 17, 2015,[23] the Charleston Police Department began receiving calls of a shooting at Emanuel AME Church.[23][9] Dylann S. Roof, a man described as white, with sandy-brown hair, around 21 years old and 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) in height, wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans, opened fire with a Glock 41 .45-caliber handgun[24] on a group of people inside the church at a Bible study attended by Pinckney. He had first attended the meeting as a participant that evening. Roof then fled the scene.[25][26][27] He had been carrying eight magazines holding hollow-point bullets.[28] The event was finished by about 9:11 p.m.[23]

 
Dylann Roof entering Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church through a side door at 8:16 pm, as captured on CCTV

During the hour preceding the attack, 13 people including the shooter participated in the Bible study.[29] According to the accounts of people who talked to survivors, when Roof walked into the historic African-American church, he immediately asked for Pinckney and sat down next to him, initially listening to others during the study.[30] He disagreed with some of the discussion of Scripture. After other participants began praying,[31] he stood up,[27] and aimed a gun he pulled from a fanny pack at 87-year-old Susie Jackson. Jackson's nephew, 26-year-old Tywanza Sanders, tried to talk him down and asked him why he was attacking churchgoers. The shooter said, "I have to do it. You rape our women and you're taking over our country. And you have to go." When Roof said he intended to shoot them all, Sanders dove in front of Jackson and was shot first. Roof fired at the other victims, shouting racial epithets. He reportedly said, "Y'all want something to pray about? I'll give you something to pray about."[32] Roof reloaded his gun five times. Sanders' mother and his five-year-old niece, who also attended the study, survived the shooting by pretending to be dead on the floor.[33][34][35]

Dot Scott, president of the local branch of the NAACP, said she had heard from victims' relatives that Roof spared one woman (Polly Sheppard),[36] saying that she could tell other people what happened.[37] He asked, "Did I shoot you?" She replied, "No." Then, he said, "Good, 'cause we need someone to survive, because I'm gonna shoot myself, and you'll be the only survivor."[38] According to the son of one victim, who spoke to that survivor, Roof allegedly turned the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger, but discovered he was out of ammunition.[39] He left the church, reportedly after making another "racially inflammatory statement" over the victims' bodies.[27] The entire shooting lasted for approximately six minutes.[23]

Several hours later, a bomb threat was called into the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Calhoun Street. This complicated the police investigation of the shooting, as they needed to evacuate the immediate area.[9][40]

Victims edit

The mortally wounded victims, six women and three men, were all African-American members of the AME Church. Eight died at the scene; the ninth, Daniel Simmons, died at MUSC Medical Center.[41] They were all killed by multiple gunshots fired at close range.[35][42] Five people survived the shooting unharmed, including Felicia Sanders, mother of slain victim Tywanza Sanders, and her five-year-old granddaughter, as well as Polly Sheppard, a Bible study member. Pinckney's wife and youngest daughter were inside the building during the shooting, but were in the pastor's office with the door locked.[43][44] A tenth victim was also injured in the event.[43] Those killed were identified as:[45][46]

  • Clementa C. Pinckney (41) – the church's pastor and a South Carolina state senator.
  • Cynthia Graham Hurd (54) – a Bible study member and a branch manager for the Charleston County Public Library system; sister of former state senator Malcolm Graham.
  • Susie Jackson (87) – the oldest victim who was a Bible study and church choir member.
  • Ethel Lee Lance (70) – the church's sexton.
  • Depayne Middleton-Doctor (49) – a pastor who was also employed as a school administrator and admissions coordinator at Southern Wesleyan University.
  • Tywanza Sanders (26) – the youngest victim who was a graduate of Allen University; grandnephew of victim Susie Jackson.
  • Daniel L. Simmons (74) – a pastor who also served at Greater Zion AME Church in Awendaw.
  • Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45) – a pastor; also a speech therapist and track coach at Goose Creek High School.
  • Myra Thompson (59) – a Bible study teacher.

The victims were later collectively referred to as "The Emanuel Nine".[47]

Perpetrator edit

Main article: Dylann Roof

Dylann Storm Roof[48] was named by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the suspected killer after his father and uncle contacted police to positively identify him upon seeing security photos of him in the news.[49] Roof was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and was living in largely African-American Eastover at the time of the attack.[35] Roof had a prior police record consisting of two arrests, for trespassing and drug possession, both made in the months before the attack.[50][51] According to then FBI Director James Comey, a police report detailing Roof's admission to a narcotics offense should have prevented him from purchasing the weapon used in the shooting. An administrative error within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) excluded Roof's admission (though not the arrest itself) from appearing on his mandatory background check.[52][53]

His Facebook page included an image of Roof wearing a jacket decorated with two emblems popular among American white supremacists: the flag of the former Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe) and the flag of apartheid-era South Africa.[54][55][56] Roof reportedly told friends and neighbors he intended to kill people, including a plot to attack the College of Charleston, but his claims were not taken seriously.[57] On June 20, bloggers discovered a website called "The Last Rhodesian" (www.lastrhodesian.com); it had been registered to a "Dylann Roof" on February 9, 2015.[58][59] The website included what appeared to be an unsigned manifesto containing Roof's opinions of "Blacks", "Jews", "Hispanics" and "East Asians",[60][61] as well a cache of photos, including an image of Roof posing with a handgun and a Confederate Battle Flag.[59] In this manifesto, Roof says he became "racially aware" as a result of the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, writing that when he learned about the incident, he read about it, concluding that George Zimmerman had been in the right. He did not understand the controversy about it. He said he searched for "black on White [sic] crime" on Google and found the website of the Council of Conservative Citizens, where he read "pages upon pages" of cases involving black people murdering white people. Roof wrote that he had "never been the same since that day".

According to web server logs, Roof's website was last modified at 4:44 p.m. on June 17, the day of the shooting, when Roof noted, "[A]t the time of writing I am in a great hurry."[59]

An unidentified source said interrogations with Roof after his arrest determined he had been planning the attack for around six months. He had researched Emanuel AME Church, and targeted it because of its role in African-American history.[27] A friend who briefly hid Roof's gun from him said, "I don't think the church was his primary target because he told us he was going for the school. But I think he couldn't get into [sic] the school because of the security ... so I think he just settled for the church."[62][63]

Roof's cellphone and computer were seized and analyzed by the FBI. According to unnamed officials, he was in online communication with other white supremacists, who did not appear to have encouraged the massacre.[64] The investigation was said to have widened to include other persons of interest.[65]

Federal prosecutors said in August 2016 that Roof was "self-radicalized" online, instead of adopting his white supremacist ideology "through his personal associations or experiences with white supremacist groups or individuals or others".[66][67]

Criminal investigation edit

Manhunt and capture edit

The attack was treated as a hate crime by police. Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called in to assist in the investigation and manhunt.[26][68]

On the morning after the attack, police received a tip-off from a woman who recognized Roof and his car, a black Hyundai Elantra with South Carolina license plates and a three-flag "Confederate States of America" bumper decoration,[69] on U.S. Route 74, recalling security camera images taken at the church and distributed to the media. She later recalled, "I got closer and saw that haircut. I was nervous. I had the worst feeling. Is that him or not him?" She called her employer, who contacted local police, and then tailed the suspect's car for 35 miles (56 km) until she was certain authorities were moving in for an arrest.[70] At 10:44 a.m., Roof was captured in a traffic stop in Shelby, North Carolina, approximately 245 miles (394 km) from the shooting scene. A .45-caliber pistol was found in the car during the arrest.[71][72]

Legal proceedings edit

Roof waived his extradition rights and was flown to Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston on the evening of June 18.[34][73][74] At the jail, his cell-block neighbor was Michael Slager, the former North Charleston police officer charged with murder after shooting Walter Scott following a traffic stop.[75][76] According to unconfirmed reports, Roof confessed to committing the attack and said he wanted to start a race war.[33] He reportedly told investigators he almost did not complete his plan because members of the church group had been so nice to him.[32]

On June 19, Roof was charged with nine counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.[74][77] He first appeared in Charleston County court via videoconference at a bond hearing later that day. At the hearing, shooting survivors and relatives of five of the victims spoke to Roof directly, saying that they were "praying for his soul" and forgave him.[27][78][79][80]

The judge, Charleston County chief magistrate James "Skip" Gosnell, Jr., said at the bond hearing that, in addition to the dead victims and their families, "there are victims on this young man's side of the family ... Nobody would have ever thrown them into the whirlwind of events that they are being thrown into."[81] The judge was reported to have been reprimanded in 2005 by the South Carolina Supreme Court for using a racial slur while on the bench in 2003.[82] Gosnell set a $1 million bond for the weapons possession charge and no bail on the nine counts of murder.[83]

Governor Nikki Haley called on prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Roof.[84] In June 2016 she warned against divisive rhetoric, saying that it could lead to tragedies such as the massacre at the church, and referred to the rhetoric of 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump.[85]

Indictment edit

On July 7, Roof was indicted on the nine murder charges and the weapons charge, as well three new charges of attempted murder, one for each person who survived the shooting.[86][87] He also faced federal hate crime charges,[88] including nine counts of using a firearm to commit murder and 24 civil rights violations (12 hate crime charges and 12 counts of violating a person's freedom of religion), with 18 of the charges carrying the federal death penalty.[89]

On July 31, Roof pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, based on the advice of his lawyer David Bruck. Bruck earlier said Roof wanted to plead guilty, but he couldn't advise it without knowing the government's intentions.[90][91]

On September 3, Ninth Circuit solicitor (i.e., district attorney) Scarlett Wilson announced that she intended to seek the death penalty against Roof in the state proceedings, based on more than two people being killed in the shooting and others' lives put at risk.[92] On September 16, Roof said through his attorney that he was willing to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without parole.[93]

Trial edit

On October 1, the federal trial was pushed back to at least January 2016 to give prosecutors and Roof's attorneys more time to prepare.[94] On December 1, the trial was postponed again to an unknown date.[95] Both Roof and his friend, Joey Meek, (who was accused of misprision of felony and lying to investigators about Roof's plans), were to reappear in federal court on February 11, 2016, while their lawyers held a bar meeting with prosecutors to discuss their cases.[96][97][clarification needed] On November 7, 2016, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel postponed jury selection until November 9,[98] later postponing the process again until November 21.[99] Gergel later postponed the jury selection to November 28.[100] On November 28, a federal judge granted a motion by Roof to represent himself.[101][102][103][104] On December 4, Roof made a handwritten request of Gergel, asking for his defense team for the guilt phase of his federal death penalty trial.[105][106][107][108] On December 5, 2016, Gergel allowed Roof to hire back his lawyers for the guilt phase of his trial.[109][110] On December 6, 2016, a federal judge denied a motion by Roof's defense team to delay Roof's trial.[111]

The decision to seek the death penalty for Roof was a campaign topic in the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries, with Hillary Clinton supporting the Justice Department's decision and Bernie Sanders opposing it.[112]

In November 2016, Roof was declared competent to stand trial for the crimes.[113] In January 2017, following a second competency evaluation, Roof was again deemed competent.[114]

Roof's trial began on December 7, 2016; witnesses gave testimony describing the shooting in graphic detail.[115][116] On December 15, 2016, Roof was found guilty of all 33 federal charges against him.[117] For the sentencing phase of the federal trial, Roof dismissed his attorneys and insisted on representing himself. In a statement to the court at his sentencing hearing on January 4, 2017, Roof offered no apology or explanation, saying "There's nothing wrong with me psychologically."[118] At the hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence a two-page excerpt from a journal written by Roof from jail six weeks after his arrest, in which Roof composed a white supremacist manifesto, writing: "I would like to make it crystal clear, I do not regret what I did. I am not sorry. I have not shed a tear for the innocent people I killed."[118][119]

Sentence edit

Roof was sentenced to death on January 10, 2017, and to life in prison without parole on April 10, 2017.

Aftermath edit

 
A prayer vigil at Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church

Context of racism edit

Heidi Beirich, the director of the Intelligence Project for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit that seeks to identify American hate groups and confront their activities, said that the gunman's reported motive has frequently appeared on white supremacist websites. They say that "whites are being hugely victimized by blacks and no one is paying attention". Referring to Roof's comments about rape, Beirich said, "[Black men sexually assaulting white women] is probably the oldest racist trope we have in the U.S."[120][121]

According to Beirich, this trope is related to a myth of Southern culture, because in fact, African-American women had been much more frequently abused by white men. Lisa Lindquist-Dorr, associate professor at the University of Alabama, said that the myth of black rapists had dominated the imaginations of white, Southern men, who believed that "Sexual access to women is a trophy of power, white women embodied virtue and morality, they signified whiteness and white superiority, so sexual access to white women was possessing the ultimate privilege that white men held. It views women as trophies which are to be traded among men."[122]

Jamelle Bouie wrote in Slate, "Make any list of anti-black terrorism in the United States, and you'll also have a list of attacks justified by the specter of black rape." He cited the Tulsa race riot of 1921, the Rosewood massacre of 1923, and the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 as examples.[123] Beirich said that early in the investigation, it was unclear if the suspect had any connection to hate groups. She noted that "for several years South Carolina has been the place with the highest density of hate groups."[124]

Memorials edit

 
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston South Carolina. 21 June 2015

At Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, numerous people of different races and religions attended a ceremony commemorating the victims and they proclaimed that the attack would not divide the community.[34] Another such ceremony occurred at the TD Arena in the College of Charleston.[42] On June 21, four days after the shooting, Emanuel AME Church reopened for its Sunday worship service.[125] The Rev. Dr. Norvel Goff Sr., Presiding Elder of Emanuel AME Church, delivered the sermon.[126]

On June 25, 2015, at Emanuel AME Church, funerals were held for victims Ethel Lance and Sharonda Coleman-Singleton and they were attended by several political figures and civil rights leaders.[16] Clementa Pinckney's funeral was held in the basketball arena of the College of Charleston on June 26, 2015, with President Barack Obama delivering the eulogy.[127] Earlier, Pinckney's body lay in state in the South Carolina State House.[128] This was followed by the funerals of Tywanza Sanders, Susie Jackson, and Cynthia Graham Hurd the next day.[129] Hurd's family announced that they are establishing the Cynthia Graham Hurd Fund for Reading and Literacy organization in her memory; it is expected to give children easier access to books.[130] By July 2, the last of the victims, Daniel Simmons, was buried.[131]

Nine artists from across the United States created portraits of the victims as a tribute to them. The portraits were put on display at the Principle Gallery for one month, and afterwards, they were given to the victims' families.[132] The artists who were involved in the memorial included Ricky Mujica, Mario Andres Robinson, Lauren Tilden, Paul McCormack, Gregory Mortenson, Catherine Prescott, Terry Strickland, Judy Takács, and Stephanie Deshpande.[133]

South Carolina portrait artist Larry Francis Lebby was commissioned to create a portrait of Senator Pinckney after the murders in 2015. The portrait was unveiled in May 2016, and hangs in the South Carolina Senate chambers. Speakers at the unveiling included Senator Gerald Malloy, Representative Joseph Neal, Senate President Hugh Leatherman, Senator John W. Matthews Jr., the widow, Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, and the artist Larry Lebby himself.[134]

In 2020, Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina announced that their renovation of the Good Samaritan Waverly Hospital would include a memorial that will prominently feature the names of Clementa C. Pinckney and the other eight individuals slain at Emanual African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015.[135] Pinckney was a graduate of Allen University.[136] Two other Charleston Church Shooting victims, Tywanza Sanders and Rev. Daniel L. Simmons Sr., were also Allen University graduates.[137][138]

At the 2019 historical marker unveiling at the Dr. Cyril O. Spann Medical Office in Columbia, South Carolina, a planting and dedication ceremony for a Tree of Peace and Resistance held that day in conjunction with the Visanska Starks House recognized actions of mutual support between members of Emanual African Methodist Episcopal Church and Tree of Life _ Or L'Simcha Congregation after the Pittsburgh synogogue shooting, and expressed a commitment to public health and non-violence.[139]

Community's response edit

Some criticism has been aimed towards the community's forgiveness of Roof.[140]

The Black Lives Matter movement has protested against the shooting.[141]

Questions were raised about the security of black churches (as well as the security of churches in general) and their long-standing practice of welcoming anyone who is willing to pray (as most Christian churches are, regardless of the race of the majority of its parishioners). Roof, a stranger to churchgoers, was easily able to enter Emanuel AME Church with no questions asked. In the weeks after the shooting, AME Church leaders distributed a document titled "12 Considerations for Congregational Security", which recommended that they create security plans and teams for black churches, improve communications, develop relationships with local law enforcement, and secure and monitor all entrances to and exits from churches. Some churches considered hiring armed security guards and installing metal detectors, but conversations in support of these steps have currently not gained traction.[142]

Other investigations edit

The FBI investigated possible church arson after several black churches burned down in one week's time following the shooting.[143][144] On July 3, Time reported that the investigation concluded that the fires were unrelated.[145]

Background check failure edit

The FBI underwent a 30-day review to examine the lapses in the background-check system that allowed the suspected shooter to legally purchase the gun used in the shooting.[52] According to James Comey, Roof had been arrested in March on a felony drug charge, which would have required an inquiry into the charge during the background check examination. However, he was actually arrested on a misdemeanor drug charge, which was incorrectly written as a felony at first due to a data entry error made by a jail clerk. The mistake was noticed by the jail two days after the arrest, but the change was not made.

The FBI agent conducting the background check examination then called the wrong agency while making the inquiry into the drug charge, due to having limited information on law enforcement agencies in Lexington County. This subsequently allowed Roof to make the purchase. However, despite the misdemeanor charge, he still should not have been able to purchase the gun under a law that barred anyone who is an "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" from owning firearms.[146][147][148]

Several bills aiming to fix this loophole were proposed, and South Carolina legislation planned to discuss the loophole in 2016.[149] On July 1, 2016, survivors of the shooting sued the FBI for inadvertently enabling Roof to purchase the gun which was used in the shooting.[150] On August 30, 2019, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the survivors and families of the deceased can sue the Federal government.[151]

Joey Meek edit

On September 17, Joey Meek, one of Roof's friends who briefly hid his gun away from him, was arrested, reportedly for lying to federal authorities during their investigation and failing to report a crime. The next day, he pleaded not guilty to one count of making false statements to federal investigators and one count of concealing knowledge about a crime. He faced a maximum of nine years in prison and a $500,000 fine. According to legal experts, prosecutors possibly intended to use the prospect of federal charges against him as leverage for his testifying against Roof.[152][153][154] Meek pleaded guilty in federal court April 29, 2016.[155] He was sentenced to 27 months in prison in March 2017.[156]

Reactions edit

Officials edit

Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. denounced the attack and said, "Of all cities, in Charleston, to have a horrible hateful person go into the church and kill people there to pray and worship with each other is something that is beyond any comprehension and is not explained. We are going to put our arms around that church and that church family."

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said, "While we do not yet know all of the details, we do know that we'll never understand what motivates anyone to enter one of our places of worship and take the life of another. Please join us in lifting up the victims and their families with our love and prayers."[157]

President Barack Obama said in Charleston on June 18, "Once again, innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun... We as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries."[158] At a Washington press conference later that day, he said, "Michelle and I know several members of Emanuel AME Church. We knew their pastor, Reverend Clementa Pinckney, who, along with eight others, gathered in prayer and fellowship and was murdered last night. And to say our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families, and their community, doesn't say enough to convey the heartache and the sadness and the anger that we feel."[159]

On June 19, the United States Department of Justice fast-tracked a Crime Victim Assistance Formula Grant of $29 million to the South Carolina government. Some of the money will be allocated to the survivors.[160]

On January 8, 2024, President Joe Biden made a speech at the Emanuel AME Church to talk about the ‘poison’ of white supremacy. Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the speech by chanting "ceasefire now". The protests were made in response to the Israel–Palestinian conflict.[161]

Families edit

After Roof's appearance at his bond hearing, his family issued a statement, expressing their shock and grief at his actions.[162] Following the funerals of several of the victims in the shooting, they issued a second statement, expressing their condolences to the victims' families and announcing the temporary postponement of comments out of respect for them. During the bond hearing, several family members of the victims told Roof that they forgave him.[78]

Local community edit

The local community surrounding Charleston held prayer vigils and fundraisers. A mass unity rally was also held on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge on the evening of June 21. Organizers of the rally claimed there were up to 20,000 supporters in the rally. Tens of thousands of individuals crossed from the Mount Pleasant side of the bridge to the downtown Charleston side, carrying supportive signs and flags. Dozens of boats joined in the procession as well [163]

Religious community edit

The World Methodist Council, an association of worldwide churches in the Methodist tradition, of which the AME Church is a part, said it "urges prayer and support for the victims' families and those members of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church who have been so gravely affected by this crime motivated by hate."[164] The President and Vice-President of the British Methodist Conference, also a member of the World Methodist Council, sent a letter of solidarity to the African Methodist Episcopal Church, saying, "The hearts of the members of the Methodist Church of Great Britain go out to the families and friends of those killed; to the Church; and to the wider communities in Charleston."[165]

The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, also a member of the World Methodist Council and in full communion with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, called on its members "to support the victims of this and all acts of violence, to work to end racism and hatred, to seek peace with justice, and to live the prayer that our Lord gave us, that God's 'kingdom come, [and] will be done, on earth as it is in heaven'".[166]

The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, also a member of the World Methodist Council and in full communion with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, shared its support with the presiding bishop, stating, "let us join with the AMEs in prayer for the healing of the families touched by this tragedy – the families of the victims and the family of the perpetrator".[167]

The Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, said, "We offer our prayers for healing to the wounded and traumatized, and solidarity and accompaniment to our sisters and brothers in the African Methodist Episcopal Church".[168] Archbishop Joseph Edward Kurtz, the president of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, made similar remarks.[169]

On August 8, 2019, the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a resolution to recognize the Emanuel 9 as martyrs on their liturgical calendar and declare June 17 as "a day of repentance in the ELCA for the martyrdom of the Emanuel 9."[170][171] At the time of the shooting, Dylann Roof was a member of an ELCA congregation.[172] The Rev. Clementa Pinckney and the Rev. Daniel Simmons were both alumni of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, a seminary of the ELCA.[172]

Various national Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish Committee,[173] Union for Reform Judaism,[174] Jewish Federations of North America, Anti-Defamation League, and Orthodox Union issued statements deploring the attack and expressing deep grief and horror. The Rabbinical Assembly, in its own statement, quoted Leviticus, saying, "'Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.' Hateful, violent acts such as this have no place in our society, in a country known for its diversity and blending of various cultures."[175]

Many national Muslim organizations and individual imams,[176][177][178] such as Council on American–Islamic Relations, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA),[179] and Islamic Circle of North America issued statements condemning the attack and offering sympathy for the victims.[177] In a joint statement, CAIR and Muslim leaders in Baltimore called for a Ramadan 'Day of Prayer' in local communities for healing following on from the Charleston Massacre "Day of Prayer".[177]

Muslim and Jewish religious organizations have raised several hundred thousand dollars to help rebuild black churches that were burned down in the weeks after the shooting.[180]

Others edit

At least eighteen candidates and prospective candidates for the 2016 U.S. presidential election expressed reactions through various media and addresses.[181] According to NPR, Democratic and Republican candidates found different ways to address the incident, with Democrats seeing race and gun control as central issues, while Republicans were pointing to mental illness and referring to it as a tragic but random act.[182] Most Republican candidates eventually acknowledged that race was a motivating factor for the shooting. According to The Christian Science Monitor, the shooting became a precarious subject for Republican presidential contenders, in particular in regard of the racial motivations behind it, as South Carolina held primaries and the state's political importance resulted in some candidates "skirting around the clear racial motivations behind the attack".[183]

The night following the attack, Jon Stewart delivered a monologue on The Daily Show discussing the tragic nature of the news, condemning the attacks as well as the media's response to it. Stewart argued that in response to Islamic terrorism, politicians declare they will do "whatever we can" to make America safe, even justifying torture, but respond to this mass shooting with "what are you gonna do, crazy is as crazy does".[184]

The Council of Conservative Citizens, whose website Roof cited as a source for his radicalization, issued a statement on its website "unequivocally condemn[ing]" the attack, but that Roof has some "legitimate grievances" against black people. An additional statement from the group's president, Earl Holt III, disavowed responsibility for the crime and said the group's website "accurately and honestly report[s] black-on-white violent crime".[185]

In an online forum, Charles Cotton, a lawyer in Houston and a national board member of the National Rifle Association, placed blame for the shooting on Pinckney for not allowing the churchgoers to hold concealed carry weapons inside the church. In 2011, Pinckney had voted against legislation that would allow concealed handguns to be carried into public places. Cotton also criticized the effectiveness of gun-free zones, stating, "If we look at mass shootings that occur, most happen in gun-free zones." Cotton's comment has since been deleted from the online forum.[186][187]

Following the shooting, Rhodesians Worldwide, an online magazine catering to the Rhodesian expatriate community, issued a brief statement condemning Roof's actions in response to his use of the Rhodesian flag. It said 80% of the Rhodesian Security Forces were black and that the Rhodesian Bush War was a struggle against communism rather than a racial conflict.[188]

Jerry Richardson, the owner of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, donated $100,000 to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund set up by Mayor Riley, specifically calling for $10,000 to each of the families of the nine victims to cover their funeral expenses, and the remaining $10,000 to be delivered to the Emanuel AME Church itself.[189][190]

Artist Carrie Mae Weems has created a theater piece in response to the murders, called Grace Notes.[191]

Civil rights advocates said that the Charleston attack did more than fit the dictionary definition of terrorism because it also reflected the history of attempts to terrorize African-Americans by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups.[192]

Retaliatory attack edit

Main article: Burnette Chapel shooting

According to the State of Tennessee, a 2017 church shooting that killed a woman and wounded seven others was retaliation for the Charleston shooting. The perpetrator, who is black, reportedly said that he wanted to "kill 10 white people" and referenced Roof and the Pan-African flag in a note he left in his car.[193][194][195]

Consequences edit

Confederate flag edit

Main article: Modern display of the Confederate flag § Reactions to 2015 Charleston church shooting
 
The battle flag of the Confederate States of America

On June 18, 2015, the day after the shooting, many flags, including those at the South Carolina State House, were flown at half-staff. The Confederate battle flag flying over the South Carolina Confederate Monument[196] near the state house was not lowered, as South Carolina law prohibited alteration of the flag without the consent of two-thirds of the state legislature.[197] Additionally, the flagpole lacked a pulley system, meaning the flag could not be flown at half-staff, only removed.[197]

Flag's removal from statehouse grounds edit

 
South Carolina State House with the Confederate Monument in front, flag at rest

Calls to remove the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds, as well as debates over the context of its symbolic nature, were renewed after the attack[198][199] by several prominent figures, including President Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, and Jeb Bush.[200] On June 20, 2015, several thousand people gathered in front of the South Carolina State House in protest. An online petition at MoveOn.org encouraging the flag's removal had received over 370,000 signatures by that time.[201]

At a statehouse press conference on June 22, Governor Nikki Haley, flanked by elected officials of both parties, including U.S. Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, and former Republican Governor Mark Sanford, called for the flag to be removed by the state legislature, saying that while the flag was "an integral part of our past, it does not represent the future" of South Carolina.[202] Eulogizing the Rev. Clementa Pinckney on June 26, 2015, before 5,000 congregants at the College of Charleston, President Barack Obama acknowledged that the shooting had catalyzed a broad movement, backed by Republicans and Democrats, to remove the flag from official public display. "Blinded by hatred, [the gunman] failed to comprehend what Reverend Pinckney so well understood: the power of God's grace," Obama said. "By taking down that flag we express God's grace. But I don't think God wants us to stop there."[203]

On July 6, 2015, the South Carolina Senate voted to remove the Confederate flag from display outside the South Carolina State House. Following 13 hours of debate, the vote in the House to remove it was passed by a two-thirds majority (94–20) on July 9. Governor Nikki Haley signed the bill on July 9.[204] On July 10, the Confederate flag was taken down for the last time; it will be stored until it can later be shown in a museum.[205]

Retailers end sales of the flag edit

On June 23, 2015, retailers Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Sears Holding Corporation (which owns Sears and Kmart), and eBay all announced plans to stop selling merchandise with the Confederate flag.[206] Similarly, Warner Bros. announced they were halting production of "General Lee" car toys, which prominently feature a Confederate flag on the roof.[207] Many major flag manufacturers also decided to stop profiting from the flag.[208][209][210]

Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials edit

See also: Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials

The city of New Orleans has announced plans to remove four memorials related to the Confederacy.[211] Two of them, the Battle of Liberty Place Monument and the Jefferson Davis Monument, have been removed as of May 11, 2017.[212]

Other edit

In reaction to the controversy regarding the Confederate flag's modern display, institutions across the U.S. have considered removing the names of historic Confederate figures from schools, colleges, and streets. Campaigns to change the names were started in several cities.[213]

In a national survey which was conducted in 2015, 57% of Americans opined that the Confederate flag represented Southern pride rather than racism. A previous poll which was conducted in 2000 had a nearly identical result of 59%. However, poll results which were only collected from citizens who were living in the South yielded different results: 75% of whites described the flag as a symbol of pride, while 75% of blacks said that the flag represented racism.[214]

Earl Holt's political donations edit

Earl Holt, the leader of the Council of Conservative Citizens, whose website Roof credited for shaping his views in his manifesto, gave more than $74,000[215] to Republican candidates and committees in recent years, including campaign donations to 2016 presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, and Rand Paul, who have all condemned Roof's racially based motives.[216][217][218] Following the shooting, and after a journalist contacted the campaigns with details about the donor's background, a spokesman for the Ted Cruz campaign said that he would return an $8,500 donation to Holt;[218] the campaign later said that it would donate $11,000 to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund, to assist the victims' families.[215] The Rand Paul campaign said Holt's $2,250 donation would be given to the Fund,[217] and Rick Santorum said his $1,500 donation from Holt would be donated to the same charity.[219] Twelve other Republican office-holders also announced they would be returning or donating Holt's contributions.[215]

"Terrorism" terminology edit

Main articles: Terrorism and Definition of terrorism
Further information: Terrorism in the United States, Domestic terrorism in the United States, and Right-wing terrorism

While some media professionals, politicians and law enforcement officials referred to the attack as an act of domestic terrorism, others did not. This renewed a debate about the terminology which people should use whenever they describe the shooting and other attacks.[220]

On June 18, professor and terrorism expert Brian Phillips offered his definition of terrorism by saying, the shooting was "clearly a terrorist act". He based this conclusion on a racist political motivation that "seems likely" and his "intimidation of a wider audience" criterion was met when "... the shooter reportedly left one person alive to spread the message".[221] An article by CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen and David Sterman on June 19 says, "By any reasonable standard, this is terrorism, which is generally defined as an act of violence against civilians by individuals or organizations for political purposes. ... [D]eadly acts of terrorism by virulent racists and anti-government extremists have been more common in the United States than deadly acts of jihadist terrorism since 9/11."[222]

Some publications and their analyses of the event said that these naming discrepancies reflect either forms of denial or outright racism.[223][224][225] The journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote that

Almost immediately, news reports indicated that there was 'no sign of terrorism' – by which they meant: it does not appear that the shooter is Muslim ... other than the perpetrator’s non-Muslim identity, the Charleston attack from the start had the indicia of what is commonly understood to be 'terrorism'. (emphasis in original)[226]

Speaking at a press conference in Baltimore on June 19, FBI Director James Comey said, while his agency was investigating the shooting as a "hate crime", he did not consider it an "act of terrorism", citing the lack of political motivation for the suspect's actions.[227][228] He said, "Terrorism is act of violence done or threatened in order to try to influence a public body or citizenry, so it's more of a political act, and again, based on what I know, I don't see this as a political act. Doesn't make it any less horrific, but terrorism has a definition under federal law."[227]

Heidi Beirich, who leads the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), pointed to the discovery of a website attributed to Roof, which featured a manifesto and sixty photos as an example of why federal agents "don't have themselves together on this issue". The website began circulating on the Internet on June 20. Beirich said, "The way they found the website was that someone ran a domain tool reverse search on this guy's name... It wasn't rocket science, but where were the feds?"[229]

On June 24, FBI spokesman Paul Bresson left the possibility of terrorism charges open, saying, "Any eventual federal charges will be determined by the facts at the conclusion of the investigation, and are not influenced by how the investigation is initially opened." Ultimately, it is up to Department of Justice prosecutors to decide what federal charges to bring. A spokesperson for Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the Department of Justice was investigating the shooting as both "a hate crime and as an act of domestic terrorism."[230]

Imitators and subculture edit

The infamy of Roof and the shooting has inspired imitators to plot similar attacks. Benjamin Thomas Samuel McDowell was arrested for unlawful firearm possession; he had been planning to shoot up the Temple Emanu-El synagogue in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while Elizabeth Lecron and Vincent Armstrong were arrested for plotting to use explosives to commit "upscale mass murder"[clarification needed] in Toledo, Ohio, having previously corresponded with Roof himself.[231][232][233][234]

A violent neo-Nazi subculture which glorifies Roof and other far-right mass murderers has also emerged, and it is known as the "Bowl Gang" or the "Bowl Patrol", referring to Roof's distinctive bowl haircut.[235][236][237]

Lawsuits edit

On October 29, 2021, the Justice Department agreed to pay $88 million to the families of the victims and the wounded. The settlement comes about after relatives of the victims sued the FBI because it had a faulty background check system, which allowed Roof to purchase the gun that he used in the shooting. The relatives of the deceased will receive $6m and $7.5m while five other people who sustained injuries will each receive $5 million.[238][239]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Federal South Carolina

References edit

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External links edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Charleston church shooting.
  • via Archive.org – Dylann Roof website
  • "South Carolina State Senate Debate on the Confederate Flag". C-SPAN. June 23, 2015.
  • #Charlestonsyllabus, a list of academic sources related to the shooting
  • Marcelo Pisarro, "Un año de la masacre de Charleston: el debate que no fue", La Nación, June 12, 2016. (Spanish)

February 16, 2024
charleston, church, shooting, 2015, charleston, shooting, redirects, here, fatal, shooting, north, charleston, police, officer, killing, walter, scott, also, known, charleston, church, massacre, anti, black, mass, shooting, hate, crime, that, occurred, june, 2. 2015 Charleston shooting redirects here For the fatal shooting by a North Charleston police officer see Killing of Walter Scott The Charleston church shooting also known as the Charleston church massacre was an anti black mass shooting and hate crime that occurred on June 17 2015 in Charleston South Carolina Nine people were killed and a tenth was injured during a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church the oldest black church in the southern United States Among the fatalities was the senior pastor state senator Clementa C Pinckney All ten victims were African Americans At the time it was the deadliest mass shooting at a place of worship in U S history and is the deadliest mass shooting in South Carolina history Charleston church shootingPart of mass shootings in the United States domestic terrorism in the United States and racism against African AmericansPeople mourning the deaths at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church image taken June 20 three days post shooting CharlestonCharleston church shooting South Carolina Show map of South CarolinaCharleston church shooting the United States Show map of the United StatesCharleston South CarolinaLocationEmanuel African Methodist Episcopal ChurchCoordinates32 47 15 N 79 55 59 W 32 78750 N 79 93306 W 32 78750 79 93306DateJune 17 2015 8 years ago 2015 06 17 c 9 05 c 9 11 p m EDT TargetAfrican American churchgoers at a church congregationAttack typeMass shooting mass murder domestic terrorism right wing terrorism hate crimeWeaponsGlock 41 45 caliber handgunDeaths9Injured1PerpetratorDylann Storm RoofMotiveWhite supremacy nationalismNeo NazismAnti black racismVerdictGuilty on all countsConvictions33 federal counts13 state counts a TrialUnited States of America v Dylann Storm RoofSentenceFederalDeath de jure State9 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole plus 95 yearsDylann Roof a 21 year old white supremacist had attended the Bible study before opening fire He was found to have targeted members of this church because of its history and status In December 2016 Roof was convicted of 33 federal hate crime and murder charges On January 10 2017 he was sentenced to death for those crimes 1 2 Roof was separately charged with nine counts of murder in the South Carolina state courts In April 2017 Roof pleaded guilty to all nine state charges in order to avoid receiving a second death sentence and as a result he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole He will receive automatic appeals of his death sentence but he may eventually be executed by the federal justice system 3 4 Roof espoused racial hatred in both a website manifesto which he published before the shooting and a journal which he wrote from jail afterward On his website Roof posted photos of emblems which are associated with white supremacy including a photo of the Confederate battle flag The shooting triggered debates about modern display of the flag and other commemorations of the Confederacy Following these murders the South Carolina General Assembly voted to remove the flag from State Capitol grounds and a wave of Confederate monument or memorial removals followed shortly thereafter Contents 1 Background 2 Shooting 2 1 Victims 3 Perpetrator 4 Criminal investigation 4 1 Manhunt and capture 5 Legal proceedings 5 1 Indictment 5 2 Trial 5 3 Sentence 6 Aftermath 6 1 Context of racism 6 2 Memorials 6 3 Community s response 6 4 Other investigations 6 4 1 Background check failure 6 4 2 Joey Meek 7 Reactions 7 1 Officials 7 2 Families 7 3 Local community 7 4 Religious community 7 5 Others 7 6 Retaliatory attack 8 Consequences 8 1 Confederate flag 8 1 1 Flag s removal from statehouse grounds 8 1 2 Retailers end sales of the flag 8 2 Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials 8 3 Other 8 4 Earl Holt s political donations 8 5 Terrorism terminology 8 6 Imitators and subculture 9 Lawsuits 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 External linksBackground editFounded in 1816 the church has played an important role in the history of South Carolina including the slavery era and Reconstruction the civil rights movement and Black Lives Matter 5 It is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in the South often referred to as Mother Emanuel The AME Church was founded by Richard Allen in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1814 as the first independent black denomination 6 It is a historically black congregation one of the oldest south of Baltimore 7 8 When one of the church s co founders Denmark Vesey was suspected of plotting to launch a slave rebellion in Charleston in 1822 35 people including Vesey were hanged and the church was burned down 9 10 Charleston citizens accepted the claim that a slave rebellion was expected to begin at the stroke of midnight on June 16 1822 and it was expected to erupt the following day the shooting in 2015 occurred on the 193rd anniversary of the thwarted uprising 11 As the rebuilt church was formally shuttered with other all black congregations by the city in 1834 the congregation met in secret until 1865 when it was formally reorganized and it acquired the name Emanuel God with us 12 It was rebuilt based on a design which was drawn by Denmark Vesey s son 11 That structure was badly damaged in the 1886 Charleston earthquake 13 14 The current building dates from 1891 11 12 The church s senior pastor the Rev Clementa C Pinckney had held rallies after the shooting of Walter Scott by a white police officer two months earlier in nearby North Charleston As a state senator Pinckney pushed for legislation requiring police to wear body cameras 15 Several commentators noted that a similarity existed between the massacre at Emanuel AME and the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing of a politically active African American church in Birmingham Alabama where the Ku Klux Klan KKK killed four black girls and injured fourteen others during the civil rights movement This attack galvanized support for federal civil rights legislation 14 16 Numerous scholars journalists activists and politicians have emphasized their belief that the attack should not be treated as an isolated event because in their view it occurred within the broader context of racism against Black Americans and racism in the United States In 1996 Congress had passed the Church Arson Prevention Act which considers the damaging of religious property a federal crime because of its racial or ethnic character in response to a spate of 154 suspicious church burnings which had occurred since 1991 17 18 More recent arson attacks against black churches included a black church in Massachusetts that was burned down the day after the first inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009 19 20 21 22 Shooting editAt around 9 05 p m EDT on Wednesday June 17 2015 23 the Charleston Police Department began receiving calls of a shooting at Emanuel AME Church 23 9 Dylann S Roof a man described as white with sandy brown hair around 21 years old and 5 feet 9 inches 175 cm in height wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans opened fire with a Glock 41 45 caliber handgun 24 on a group of people inside the church at a Bible study attended by Pinckney He had first attended the meeting as a participant that evening Roof then fled the scene 25 26 27 He had been carrying eight magazines holding hollow point bullets 28 The event was finished by about 9 11 p m 23 nbsp Dylann Roof entering Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church through a side door at 8 16 pm as captured on CCTVDuring the hour preceding the attack 13 people including the shooter participated in the Bible study 29 According to the accounts of people who talked to survivors when Roof walked into the historic African American church he immediately asked for Pinckney and sat down next to him initially listening to others during the study 30 He disagreed with some of the discussion of Scripture After other participants began praying 31 he stood up 27 and aimed a gun he pulled from a fanny pack at 87 year old Susie Jackson Jackson s nephew 26 year old Tywanza Sanders tried to talk him down and asked him why he was attacking churchgoers The shooter said I have to do it You rape our women and you re taking over our country And you have to go When Roof said he intended to shoot them all Sanders dove in front of Jackson and was shot first Roof fired at the other victims shouting racial epithets He reportedly said Y all want something to pray about I ll give you something to pray about 32 Roof reloaded his gun five times Sanders mother and his five year old niece who also attended the study survived the shooting by pretending to be dead on the floor 33 34 35 Dot Scott president of the local branch of the NAACP said she had heard from victims relatives that Roof spared one woman Polly Sheppard 36 saying that she could tell other people what happened 37 He asked Did I shoot you She replied No Then he said Good cause we need someone to survive because I m gonna shoot myself and you ll be the only survivor 38 According to the son of one victim who spoke to that survivor Roof allegedly turned the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger but discovered he was out of ammunition 39 He left the church reportedly after making another racially inflammatory statement over the victims bodies 27 The entire shooting lasted for approximately six minutes 23 Several hours later a bomb threat was called into the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Calhoun Street This complicated the police investigation of the shooting as they needed to evacuate the immediate area 9 40 Victims edit The mortally wounded victims six women and three men were all African American members of the AME Church Eight died at the scene the ninth Daniel Simmons died at MUSC Medical Center 41 They were all killed by multiple gunshots fired at close range 35 42 Five people survived the shooting unharmed including Felicia Sanders mother of slain victim Tywanza Sanders and her five year old granddaughter as well as Polly Sheppard a Bible study member Pinckney s wife and youngest daughter were inside the building during the shooting but were in the pastor s office with the door locked 43 44 A tenth victim was also injured in the event 43 Those killed were identified as 45 46 Clementa C Pinckney 41 the church s pastor and a South Carolina state senator Cynthia Graham Hurd 54 a Bible study member and a branch manager for the Charleston County Public Library system sister of former state senator Malcolm Graham Susie Jackson 87 the oldest victim who was a Bible study and church choir member Ethel Lee Lance 70 the church s sexton Depayne Middleton Doctor 49 a pastor who was also employed as a school administrator and admissions coordinator at Southern Wesleyan University Tywanza Sanders 26 the youngest victim who was a graduate of Allen University grandnephew of victim Susie Jackson Daniel L Simmons 74 a pastor who also served at Greater Zion AME Church in Awendaw Sharonda Coleman Singleton 45 a pastor also a speech therapist and track coach at Goose Creek High School Myra Thompson 59 a Bible study teacher The victims were later collectively referred to as The Emanuel Nine 47 Perpetrator editMain article Dylann Roof Dylann Storm Roof 48 was named by the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI as the suspected killer after his father and uncle contacted police to positively identify him upon seeing security photos of him in the news 49 Roof was born in Columbia South Carolina and was living in largely African American Eastover at the time of the attack 35 Roof had a prior police record consisting of two arrests for trespassing and drug possession both made in the months before the attack 50 51 According to then FBI Director James Comey a police report detailing Roof s admission to a narcotics offense should have prevented him from purchasing the weapon used in the shooting An administrative error within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System NICS excluded Roof s admission though not the arrest itself from appearing on his mandatory background check 52 53 His Facebook page included an image of Roof wearing a jacket decorated with two emblems popular among American white supremacists the flag of the former Rhodesia now known as Zimbabwe and the flag of apartheid era South Africa 54 55 56 Roof reportedly told friends and neighbors he intended to kill people including a plot to attack the College of Charleston but his claims were not taken seriously 57 On June 20 bloggers discovered a website called The Last Rhodesian www lastrhodesian com it had been registered to a Dylann Roof on February 9 2015 58 59 The website included what appeared to be an unsigned manifesto containing Roof s opinions of Blacks Jews Hispanics and East Asians 60 61 as well a cache of photos including an image of Roof posing with a handgun and a Confederate Battle Flag 59 In this manifesto Roof says he became racially aware as a result of the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin writing that when he learned about the incident he read about it concluding that George Zimmerman had been in the right He did not understand the controversy about it He said he searched for black on White sic crime on Google and found the website of the Council of Conservative Citizens where he read pages upon pages of cases involving black people murdering white people Roof wrote that he had never been the same since that day According to web server logs Roof s website was last modified at 4 44 p m on June 17 the day of the shooting when Roof noted A t the time of writing I am in a great hurry 59 An unidentified source said interrogations with Roof after his arrest determined he had been planning the attack for around six months He had researched Emanuel AME Church and targeted it because of its role in African American history 27 A friend who briefly hid Roof s gun from him said I don t think the church was his primary target because he told us he was going for the school But I think he couldn t get into sic the school because of the security so I think he just settled for the church 62 63 Roof s cellphone and computer were seized and analyzed by the FBI According to unnamed officials he was in online communication with other white supremacists who did not appear to have encouraged the massacre 64 The investigation was said to have widened to include other persons of interest 65 Federal prosecutors said in August 2016 that Roof was self radicalized online instead of adopting his white supremacist ideology through his personal associations or experiences with white supremacist groups or individuals or others 66 67 Criminal investigation editManhunt and capture edit The attack was treated as a hate crime by police Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives were called in to assist in the investigation and manhunt 26 68 On the morning after the attack police received a tip off from a woman who recognized Roof and his car a black Hyundai Elantra with South Carolina license plates and a three flag Confederate States of America bumper decoration 69 on U S Route 74 recalling security camera images taken at the church and distributed to the media She later recalled I got closer and saw that haircut I was nervous I had the worst feeling Is that him or not him She called her employer who contacted local police and then tailed the suspect s car for 35 miles 56 km until she was certain authorities were moving in for an arrest 70 At 10 44 a m Roof was captured in a traffic stop in Shelby North Carolina approximately 245 miles 394 km from the shooting scene A 45 caliber pistol was found in the car during the arrest 71 72 Legal proceedings editRoof waived his extradition rights and was flown to Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston on the evening of June 18 34 73 74 At the jail his cell block neighbor was Michael Slager the former North Charleston police officer charged with murder after shooting Walter Scott following a traffic stop 75 76 According to unconfirmed reports Roof confessed to committing the attack and said he wanted to start a race war 33 He reportedly told investigators he almost did not complete his plan because members of the church group had been so nice to him 32 On June 19 Roof was charged with nine counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime 74 77 He first appeared in Charleston County court via videoconference at a bond hearing later that day At the hearing shooting survivors and relatives of five of the victims spoke to Roof directly saying that they were praying for his soul and forgave him 27 78 79 80 The judge Charleston County chief magistrate James Skip Gosnell Jr said at the bond hearing that in addition to the dead victims and their families there are victims on this young man s side of the family Nobody would have ever thrown them into the whirlwind of events that they are being thrown into 81 The judge was reported to have been reprimanded in 2005 by the South Carolina Supreme Court for using a racial slur while on the bench in 2003 82 Gosnell set a 1 million bond for the weapons possession charge and no bail on the nine counts of murder 83 Governor Nikki Haley called on prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Roof 84 In June 2016 she warned against divisive rhetoric saying that it could lead to tragedies such as the massacre at the church and referred to the rhetoric of 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump 85 Indictment edit On July 7 Roof was indicted on the nine murder charges and the weapons charge as well three new charges of attempted murder one for each person who survived the shooting 86 87 He also faced federal hate crime charges 88 including nine counts of using a firearm to commit murder and 24 civil rights violations 12 hate crime charges and 12 counts of violating a person s freedom of religion with 18 of the charges carrying the federal death penalty 89 On July 31 Roof pleaded not guilty to the federal charges based on the advice of his lawyer David Bruck Bruck earlier said Roof wanted to plead guilty but he couldn t advise it without knowing the government s intentions 90 91 On September 3 Ninth Circuit solicitor i e district attorney Scarlett Wilson announced that she intended to seek the death penalty against Roof in the state proceedings based on more than two people being killed in the shooting and others lives put at risk 92 On September 16 Roof said through his attorney that he was willing to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without parole 93 Trial edit On October 1 the federal trial was pushed back to at least January 2016 to give prosecutors and Roof s attorneys more time to prepare 94 On December 1 the trial was postponed again to an unknown date 95 Both Roof and his friend Joey Meek who was accused of misprision of felony and lying to investigators about Roof s plans were to reappear in federal court on February 11 2016 while their lawyers held a bar meeting with prosecutors to discuss their cases 96 97 clarification needed On November 7 2016 U S District Judge Richard Gergel postponed jury selection until November 9 98 later postponing the process again until November 21 99 Gergel later postponed the jury selection to November 28 100 On November 28 a federal judge granted a motion by Roof to represent himself 101 102 103 104 On December 4 Roof made a handwritten request of Gergel asking for his defense team for the guilt phase of his federal death penalty trial 105 106 107 108 On December 5 2016 Gergel allowed Roof to hire back his lawyers for the guilt phase of his trial 109 110 On December 6 2016 a federal judge denied a motion by Roof s defense team to delay Roof s trial 111 The decision to seek the death penalty for Roof was a campaign topic in the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries with Hillary Clinton supporting the Justice Department s decision and Bernie Sanders opposing it 112 In November 2016 Roof was declared competent to stand trial for the crimes 113 In January 2017 following a second competency evaluation Roof was again deemed competent 114 Roof s trial began on December 7 2016 witnesses gave testimony describing the shooting in graphic detail 115 116 On December 15 2016 Roof was found guilty of all 33 federal charges against him 117 For the sentencing phase of the federal trial Roof dismissed his attorneys and insisted on representing himself In a statement to the court at his sentencing hearing on January 4 2017 Roof offered no apology or explanation saying There s nothing wrong with me psychologically 118 At the hearing prosecutors introduced into evidence a two page excerpt from a journal written by Roof from jail six weeks after his arrest in which Roof composed a white supremacist manifesto writing I would like to make it crystal clear I do not regret what I did I am not sorry I have not shed a tear for the innocent people I killed 118 119 Sentence edit Roof was sentenced to death on January 10 2017 and to life in prison without parole on April 10 2017 Aftermath edit nbsp A prayer vigil at Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal ChurchContext of racism edit Heidi Beirich the director of the Intelligence Project for the Southern Poverty Law Center a non profit that seeks to identify American hate groups and confront their activities said that the gunman s reported motive has frequently appeared on white supremacist websites They say that whites are being hugely victimized by blacks and no one is paying attention Referring to Roof s comments about rape Beirich said Black men sexually assaulting white women is probably the oldest racist trope we have in the U S 120 121 According to Beirich this trope is related to a myth of Southern culture because in fact African American women had been much more frequently abused by white men Lisa Lindquist Dorr associate professor at the University of Alabama said that the myth of black rapists had dominated the imaginations of white Southern men who believed that Sexual access to women is a trophy of power white women embodied virtue and morality they signified whiteness and white superiority so sexual access to white women was possessing the ultimate privilege that white men held It views women as trophies which are to be traded among men 122 Jamelle Bouie wrote in Slate Make any list of anti black terrorism in the United States and you ll also have a list of attacks justified by the specter of black rape He cited the Tulsa race riot of 1921 the Rosewood massacre of 1923 and the murder of 14 year old Emmett Till in 1955 as examples 123 Beirich said that early in the investigation it was unclear if the suspect had any connection to hate groups She noted that for several years South Carolina has been the place with the highest density of hate groups 124 Memorials edit nbsp Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church Charleston South Carolina 21 June 2015At Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston numerous people of different races and religions attended a ceremony commemorating the victims and they proclaimed that the attack would not divide the community 34 Another such ceremony occurred at the TD Arena in the College of Charleston 42 On June 21 four days after the shooting Emanuel AME Church reopened for its Sunday worship service 125 The Rev Dr Norvel Goff Sr Presiding Elder of Emanuel AME Church delivered the sermon 126 On June 25 2015 at Emanuel AME Church funerals were held for victims Ethel Lance and Sharonda Coleman Singleton and they were attended by several political figures and civil rights leaders 16 Clementa Pinckney s funeral was held in the basketball arena of the College of Charleston on June 26 2015 with President Barack Obama delivering the eulogy 127 Earlier Pinckney s body lay in state in the South Carolina State House 128 This was followed by the funerals of Tywanza Sanders Susie Jackson and Cynthia Graham Hurd the next day 129 Hurd s family announced that they are establishing the Cynthia Graham Hurd Fund for Reading and Literacy organization in her memory it is expected to give children easier access to books 130 By July 2 the last of the victims Daniel Simmons was buried 131 Nine artists from across the United States created portraits of the victims as a tribute to them The portraits were put on display at the Principle Gallery for one month and afterwards they were given to the victims families 132 The artists who were involved in the memorial included Ricky Mujica Mario Andres Robinson Lauren Tilden Paul McCormack Gregory Mortenson Catherine Prescott Terry Strickland Judy Takacs and Stephanie Deshpande 133 South Carolina portrait artist Larry Francis Lebby was commissioned to create a portrait of Senator Pinckney after the murders in 2015 The portrait was unveiled in May 2016 and hangs in the South Carolina Senate chambers Speakers at the unveiling included Senator Gerald Malloy Representative Joseph Neal Senate President Hugh Leatherman Senator John W Matthews Jr the widow Mrs Jennifer Pinckney and the artist Larry Lebby himself 134 In 2020 Allen University in Columbia South Carolina announced that their renovation of the Good Samaritan Waverly Hospital would include a memorial that will prominently feature the names of Clementa C Pinckney and the other eight individuals slain at Emanual African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015 135 Pinckney was a graduate of Allen University 136 Two other Charleston Church Shooting victims Tywanza Sanders and Rev Daniel L Simmons Sr were also Allen University graduates 137 138 At the 2019 historical marker unveiling at the Dr Cyril O Spann Medical Office in Columbia South Carolina a planting and dedication ceremony for a Tree of Peace and Resistance held that day in conjunction with the Visanska Starks House recognized actions of mutual support between members of Emanual African Methodist Episcopal Church and Tree of Life Or L Simcha Congregation after the Pittsburgh synogogue shooting and expressed a commitment to public health and non violence 139 Community s response edit Some criticism has been aimed towards the community s forgiveness of Roof 140 The Black Lives Matter movement has protested against the shooting 141 Questions were raised about the security of black churches as well as the security of churches in general and their long standing practice of welcoming anyone who is willing to pray as most Christian churches are regardless of the race of the majority of its parishioners Roof a stranger to churchgoers was easily able to enter Emanuel AME Church with no questions asked In the weeks after the shooting AME Church leaders distributed a document titled 12 Considerations for Congregational Security which recommended that they create security plans and teams for black churches improve communications develop relationships with local law enforcement and secure and monitor all entrances to and exits from churches Some churches considered hiring armed security guards and installing metal detectors but conversations in support of these steps have currently not gained traction 142 Other investigations edit The FBI investigated possible church arson after several black churches burned down in one week s time following the shooting 143 144 On July 3 Time reported that the investigation concluded that the fires were unrelated 145 Background check failure edit The FBI underwent a 30 day review to examine the lapses in the background check system that allowed the suspected shooter to legally purchase the gun used in the shooting 52 According to James Comey Roof had been arrested in March on a felony drug charge which would have required an inquiry into the charge during the background check examination However he was actually arrested on a misdemeanor drug charge which was incorrectly written as a felony at first due to a data entry error made by a jail clerk The mistake was noticed by the jail two days after the arrest but the change was not made The FBI agent conducting the background check examination then called the wrong agency while making the inquiry into the drug charge due to having limited information on law enforcement agencies in Lexington County This subsequently allowed Roof to make the purchase However despite the misdemeanor charge he still should not have been able to purchase the gun under a law that barred anyone who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance from owning firearms 146 147 148 Several bills aiming to fix this loophole were proposed and South Carolina legislation planned to discuss the loophole in 2016 149 On July 1 2016 survivors of the shooting sued the FBI for inadvertently enabling Roof to purchase the gun which was used in the shooting 150 On August 30 2019 the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the survivors and families of the deceased can sue the Federal government 151 Joey Meek edit On September 17 Joey Meek one of Roof s friends who briefly hid his gun away from him was arrested reportedly for lying to federal authorities during their investigation and failing to report a crime The next day he pleaded not guilty to one count of making false statements to federal investigators and one count of concealing knowledge about a crime He faced a maximum of nine years in prison and a 500 000 fine According to legal experts prosecutors possibly intended to use the prospect of federal charges against him as leverage for his testifying against Roof 152 153 154 Meek pleaded guilty in federal court April 29 2016 155 He was sentenced to 27 months in prison in March 2017 156 Reactions editOfficials edit Charleston Mayor Joseph P Riley Jr denounced the attack and said Of all cities in Charleston to have a horrible hateful person go into the church and kill people there to pray and worship with each other is something that is beyond any comprehension and is not explained We are going to put our arms around that church and that church family South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said While we do not yet know all of the details we do know that we ll never understand what motivates anyone to enter one of our places of worship and take the life of another Please join us in lifting up the victims and their families with our love and prayers 157 President Barack Obama said in Charleston on June 18 Once again innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun We as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries 158 At a Washington press conference later that day he said Michelle and I know several members of Emanuel AME Church We knew their pastor Reverend Clementa Pinckney who along with eight others gathered in prayer and fellowship and was murdered last night And to say our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families and their community doesn t say enough to convey the heartache and the sadness and the anger that we feel 159 On June 19 the United States Department of Justice fast tracked a Crime Victim Assistance Formula Grant of 29 million to the South Carolina government Some of the money will be allocated to the survivors 160 On January 8 2024 President Joe Biden made a speech at the Emanuel AME Church to talk about the poison of white supremacy Pro Palestinian protesters interrupted the speech by chanting ceasefire now The protests were made in response to the Israel Palestinian conflict 161 Families edit After Roof s appearance at his bond hearing his family issued a statement expressing their shock and grief at his actions 162 Following the funerals of several of the victims in the shooting they issued a second statement expressing their condolences to the victims families and announcing the temporary postponement of comments out of respect for them During the bond hearing several family members of the victims told Roof that they forgave him 78 Local community edit The local community surrounding Charleston held prayer vigils and fundraisers A mass unity rally was also held on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge on the evening of June 21 Organizers of the rally claimed there were up to 20 000 supporters in the rally Tens of thousands of individuals crossed from the Mount Pleasant side of the bridge to the downtown Charleston side carrying supportive signs and flags Dozens of boats joined in the procession as well 163 Religious community edit The World Methodist Council an association of worldwide churches in the Methodist tradition of which the AME Church is a part said it urges prayer and support for the victims families and those members of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church who have been so gravely affected by this crime motivated by hate 164 The President and Vice President of the British Methodist Conference also a member of the World Methodist Council sent a letter of solidarity to the African Methodist Episcopal Church saying The hearts of the members of the Methodist Church of Great Britain go out to the families and friends of those killed to the Church and to the wider communities in Charleston 165 The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church also a member of the World Methodist Council and in full communion with the African Methodist Episcopal Church called on its members to support the victims of this and all acts of violence to work to end racism and hatred to seek peace with justice and to live the prayer that our Lord gave us that God s kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven 166 The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church also a member of the World Methodist Council and in full communion with the African Methodist Episcopal Church shared its support with the presiding bishop stating let us join with the AMEs in prayer for the healing of the families touched by this tragedy the families of the victims and the family of the perpetrator 167 The Rev Olav Fykse Tveit general secretary of the World Council of Churches said We offer our prayers for healing to the wounded and traumatized and solidarity and accompaniment to our sisters and brothers in the African Methodist Episcopal Church 168 Archbishop Joseph Edward Kurtz the president of U S Conference of Catholic Bishops made similar remarks 169 On August 8 2019 the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ELCA adopted a resolution to recognize the Emanuel 9 as martyrs on their liturgical calendar and declare June 17 as a day of repentance in the ELCA for the martyrdom of the Emanuel 9 170 171 At the time of the shooting Dylann Roof was a member of an ELCA congregation 172 The Rev Clementa Pinckney and the Rev Daniel Simmons were both alumni of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary a seminary of the ELCA 172 Various national Jewish organizations including the American Jewish Committee 173 Union for Reform Judaism 174 Jewish Federations of North America Anti Defamation League and Orthodox Union issued statements deploring the attack and expressing deep grief and horror The Rabbinical Assembly in its own statement quoted Leviticus saying Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor Hateful violent acts such as this have no place in our society in a country known for its diversity and blending of various cultures 175 Many national Muslim organizations and individual imams 176 177 178 such as Council on American Islamic Relations Islamic Society of North America ISNA 179 and Islamic Circle of North America issued statements condemning the attack and offering sympathy for the victims 177 In a joint statement CAIR and Muslim leaders in Baltimore called for a Ramadan Day of Prayer in local communities for healing following on from the Charleston Massacre Day of Prayer 177 Muslim and Jewish religious organizations have raised several hundred thousand dollars to help rebuild black churches that were burned down in the weeks after the shooting 180 Others edit At least eighteen candidates and prospective candidates for the 2016 U S presidential election expressed reactions through various media and addresses 181 According to NPR Democratic and Republican candidates found different ways to address the incident with Democrats seeing race and gun control as central issues while Republicans were pointing to mental illness and referring to it as a tragic but random act 182 Most Republican candidates eventually acknowledged that race was a motivating factor for the shooting According to The Christian Science Monitor the shooting became a precarious subject for Republican presidential contenders in particular in regard of the racial motivations behind it as South Carolina held primaries and the state s political importance resulted in some candidates skirting around the clear racial motivations behind the attack 183 The night following the attack Jon Stewart delivered a monologue on The Daily Show discussing the tragic nature of the news condemning the attacks as well as the media s response to it Stewart argued that in response to Islamic terrorism politicians declare they will do whatever we can to make America safe even justifying torture but respond to this mass shooting with what are you gonna do crazy is as crazy does 184 The Council of Conservative Citizens whose website Roof cited as a source for his radicalization issued a statement on its website unequivocally condemn ing the attack but that Roof has some legitimate grievances against black people An additional statement from the group s president Earl Holt III disavowed responsibility for the crime and said the group s website accurately and honestly report s black on white violent crime 185 In an online forum Charles Cotton a lawyer in Houston and a national board member of the National Rifle Association placed blame for the shooting on Pinckney for not allowing the churchgoers to hold concealed carry weapons inside the church In 2011 Pinckney had voted against legislation that would allow concealed handguns to be carried into public places Cotton also criticized the effectiveness of gun free zones stating If we look at mass shootings that occur most happen in gun free zones Cotton s comment has since been deleted from the online forum 186 187 Following the shooting Rhodesians Worldwide an online magazine catering to the Rhodesian expatriate community issued a brief statement condemning Roof s actions in response to his use of the Rhodesian flag It said 80 of the Rhodesian Security Forces were black and that the Rhodesian Bush War was a struggle against communism rather than a racial conflict 188 Jerry Richardson the owner of the NFL s Carolina Panthers donated 100 000 to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund set up by Mayor Riley specifically calling for 10 000 to each of the families of the nine victims to cover their funeral expenses and the remaining 10 000 to be delivered to the Emanuel AME Church itself 189 190 Artist Carrie Mae Weems has created a theater piece in response to the murders called Grace Notes 191 Civil rights advocates said that the Charleston attack did more than fit the dictionary definition of terrorism because it also reflected the history of attempts to terrorize African Americans by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups 192 Retaliatory attack edit Main article Burnette Chapel shooting According to the State of Tennessee a 2017 church shooting that killed a woman and wounded seven others was retaliation for the Charleston shooting The perpetrator who is black reportedly said that he wanted to kill 10 white people and referenced Roof and the Pan African flag in a note he left in his car 193 194 195 Consequences editConfederate flag edit Main article Modern display of the Confederate flag Reactions to 2015 Charleston church shooting nbsp The battle flag of the Confederate States of AmericaOn June 18 2015 the day after the shooting many flags including those at the South Carolina State House were flown at half staff The Confederate battle flag flying over the South Carolina Confederate Monument 196 near the state house was not lowered as South Carolina law prohibited alteration of the flag without the consent of two thirds of the state legislature 197 Additionally the flagpole lacked a pulley system meaning the flag could not be flown at half staff only removed 197 Flag s removal from statehouse grounds edit nbsp South Carolina State House with the Confederate Monument in front flag at restCalls to remove the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds as well as debates over the context of its symbolic nature were renewed after the attack 198 199 by several prominent figures including President Barack Obama Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush 200 On June 20 2015 several thousand people gathered in front of the South Carolina State House in protest An online petition at MoveOn org encouraging the flag s removal had received over 370 000 signatures by that time 201 At a statehouse press conference on June 22 Governor Nikki Haley flanked by elected officials of both parties including U S Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott and former Republican Governor Mark Sanford called for the flag to be removed by the state legislature saying that while the flag was an integral part of our past it does not represent the future of South Carolina 202 Eulogizing the Rev Clementa Pinckney on June 26 2015 before 5 000 congregants at the College of Charleston President Barack Obama acknowledged that the shooting had catalyzed a broad movement backed by Republicans and Democrats to remove the flag from official public display Blinded by hatred the gunman failed to comprehend what Reverend Pinckney so well understood the power of God s grace Obama said By taking down that flag we express God s grace But I don t think God wants us to stop there 203 On July 6 2015 the South Carolina Senate voted to remove the Confederate flag from display outside the South Carolina State House Following 13 hours of debate the vote in the House to remove it was passed by a two thirds majority 94 20 on July 9 Governor Nikki Haley signed the bill on July 9 204 On July 10 the Confederate flag was taken down for the last time it will be stored until it can later be shown in a museum 205 Retailers end sales of the flag edit On June 23 2015 retailers Wal Mart Amazon com Sears Holding Corporation which owns Sears and Kmart and eBay all announced plans to stop selling merchandise with the Confederate flag 206 Similarly Warner Bros announced they were halting production of General Lee car toys which prominently feature a Confederate flag on the roof 207 Many major flag manufacturers also decided to stop profiting from the flag 208 209 210 Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials edit See also Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials The city of New Orleans has announced plans to remove four memorials related to the Confederacy 211 Two of them the Battle of Liberty Place Monument and the Jefferson Davis Monument have been removed as of May 11 2017 212 Other edit In reaction to the controversy regarding the Confederate flag s modern display institutions across the U S have considered removing the names of historic Confederate figures from schools colleges and streets Campaigns to change the names were started in several cities 213 In a national survey which was conducted in 2015 57 of Americans opined that the Confederate flag represented Southern pride rather than racism A previous poll which was conducted in 2000 had a nearly identical result of 59 However poll results which were only collected from citizens who were living in the South yielded different results 75 of whites described the flag as a symbol of pride while 75 of blacks said that the flag represented racism 214 Earl Holt s political donations edit Earl Holt the leader of the Council of Conservative Citizens whose website Roof credited for shaping his views in his manifesto gave more than 74 000 215 to Republican candidates and committees in recent years including campaign donations to 2016 presidential candidates Ted Cruz Rick Santorum and Rand Paul who have all condemned Roof s racially based motives 216 217 218 Following the shooting and after a journalist contacted the campaigns with details about the donor s background a spokesman for the Ted Cruz campaign said that he would return an 8 500 donation to Holt 218 the campaign later said that it would donate 11 000 to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund to assist the victims families 215 The Rand Paul campaign said Holt s 2 250 donation would be given to the Fund 217 and Rick Santorum said his 1 500 donation from Holt would be donated to the same charity 219 Twelve other Republican office holders also announced they would be returning or donating Holt s contributions 215 Terrorism terminology edit Main articles Terrorism and Definition of terrorism Further information Terrorism in the United States Domestic terrorism in the United States and Right wing terrorism While some media professionals politicians and law enforcement officials referred to the attack as an act of domestic terrorism others did not This renewed a debate about the terminology which people should use whenever they describe the shooting and other attacks 220 On June 18 professor and terrorism expert Brian Phillips offered his definition of terrorism by saying the shooting was clearly a terrorist act He based this conclusion on a racist political motivation that seems likely and his intimidation of a wider audience criterion was met when the shooter reportedly left one person alive to spread the message 221 An article by CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen and David Sterman on June 19 says By any reasonable standard this is terrorism which is generally defined as an act of violence against civilians by individuals or organizations for political purposes D eadly acts of terrorism by virulent racists and anti government extremists have been more common in the United States than deadly acts of jihadist terrorism since 9 11 222 Some publications and their analyses of the event said that these naming discrepancies reflect either forms of denial or outright racism 223 224 225 The journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote thatAlmost immediately news reports indicated that there was no sign of terrorism by which they meant it does not appear that the shooter is Muslim other than the perpetrator s non Muslim identity the Charleston attack from the start had the indicia of what is commonly understood to be terrorism emphasis in original 226 Speaking at a press conference in Baltimore on June 19 FBI Director James Comey said while his agency was investigating the shooting as a hate crime he did not consider it an act of terrorism citing the lack of political motivation for the suspect s actions 227 228 He said Terrorism is act of violence done or threatened in order to try to influence a public body or citizenry so it s more of a political act and again based on what I know I don t see this as a political act Doesn t make it any less horrific but terrorism has a definition under federal law 227 Heidi Beirich who leads the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center SPLC pointed to the discovery of a website attributed to Roof which featured a manifesto and sixty photos as an example of why federal agents don t have themselves together on this issue The website began circulating on the Internet on June 20 Beirich said The way they found the website was that someone ran a domain tool reverse search on this guy s name It wasn t rocket science but where were the feds 229 On June 24 FBI spokesman Paul Bresson left the possibility of terrorism charges open saying Any eventual federal charges will be determined by the facts at the conclusion of the investigation and are not influenced by how the investigation is initially opened Ultimately it is up to Department of Justice prosecutors to decide what federal charges to bring A spokesperson for Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the Department of Justice was investigating the shooting as both a hate crime and as an act of domestic terrorism 230 Imitators and subculture edit The infamy of Roof and the shooting has inspired imitators to plot similar attacks Benjamin Thomas Samuel McDowell was arrested for unlawful firearm possession he had been planning to shoot up the Temple Emanu El synagogue in Myrtle Beach South Carolina while Elizabeth Lecron and Vincent Armstrong were arrested for plotting to use explosives to commit upscale mass murder clarification needed in Toledo Ohio having previously corresponded with Roof himself 231 232 233 234 A violent neo Nazi subculture which glorifies Roof and other far right mass murderers has also emerged and it is known as the Bowl Gang or the Bowl Patrol referring to Roof s distinctive bowl haircut 235 236 237 Lawsuits editOn October 29 2021 the Justice Department agreed to pay 88 million to the families of the victims and the wounded The settlement comes about after relatives of the victims sued the FBI because it had a faulty background check system which allowed Roof to purchase the gun that he used in the shooting The relatives of the deceased will receive 6m and 7 5m while five other people who sustained injuries will each receive 5 million 238 239 See also editAfrican American history African Americans in South Carolina 16th Street Baptist Church bombing 1963 Far right politics United States Post civil rights era in African American history Racial segregation of churches in the United States Racism against African Americans Racism in the United States Radical right United States White nationalism United States White supremacy United StatesNotes edit Federal Hate crimes resulting in death 9 counts Hate crimes involving an intent to kill 3 counts Obstruction of religious exercise resulting in death 9 counts Obstruction of religious exercise involving an intent to kill using a weapon 3 counts Use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death 9 counts South Carolina Murder 9 counts Attempted murder 3 counts Possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crimeReferences edit Victim s dad warns Dylann Roof Your creator he s coming for you CNN January 11 2017 Retrieved April 14 2017 Marszal Andrew June 19 2015 Dylann Roof confesses to Charleston shooting as governor calls for death penalty The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on January 12 2022 Retrieved June 19 2015 McLeod Harriet April 10 2017 Charleston church shooter pleads guilty to state murder counts Reuters Retrieved April 10 2017 Knapp Andrew Darlington Abigail April 10 2017 Dylann Roof s 9 life sentences on state murder charges surest route to federal execution prosecutor says Post amp Courier Retrieved April 10 2017 Kang Jay Caspian May 4 2015 Our Demand Is Simple Stop Killing Us The New York Times Payne Ed June 18 2015 Charleston church shooting Multiple fatalities in South Carolina source says CNN Retrieved June 18 2015 Bever Lindsey Costa Robert June 17 2015 9 dead in shooting at historic Charleston African American church Police chief calls it hate crime The Washington Post Retrieved June 18 2015 Dylann Roof confesses to killing 9 people in Charleston church wanting to start race war WGHP June 19 2015 Retrieved June 19 2015 a b c Nine shot multiple fatalities reported in downtown church shooting The Post and Courier June 18 2015 Archived from the original on July 28 2016 Retrieved June 18 2015 Zimmerman Jonathan June 21 2015 Was the Co Founder of Charleston s Emanuel Church a Victim of Racist Paranoia Too The New Republic Retrieved June 21 2015 a b c Grandin Greg June 18 2015 The Charleston Massacre and the Cunning of White Supremacy The Nation Retrieved June 19 2015 a b Mother Emanuel Charleston SC 7th District AME Church South Carolina 7th District AME Office Archived from the original on June 18 2015 Retrieved June 19 2015 Emanuel AME Church National Park Service Retrieved June 21 2015 a b Kaplan Sarah June 18 2015 For Charleston s Emanuel AME Church shooting is another painful chapter in rich history The Washington Post Retrieved June 18 2015 Cleary Tom June 18 2015 Clementa Pinckney Dead 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Heavy com Retrieved June 17 2015 a b Alvarez Lizette Stewart Nikita Perez Pena Richard June 25 2015 In Charleston Funerals Remembering Victims of Hate as Symbols of Love The New York Times Retrieved June 26 2015 In Church Fires a Pattern but No Conspiracy The Washington Post June 19 1996 Retrieved June 21 2015 Butler Anthea June 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Roof s victims Toronto Star State of South Carolina vs Dylann Storm Roof permanent dead link Leger Donna Leinwand June 19 2015 Dylann Roof s father uncle called police to ID him in church shooting USA Today Retrieved June 19 2015 Dylann Storm Roof arrested in North Carolina KFOR June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 Old Jason June 18 2015 Police Dylann Roof arrested for trespassing drug possession at Columbiana Centre WISTV com Retrieved June 18 2015 a b Nakashima Ellen July 10 2015 FBI Breakdown in background check system allowed Dylann Roof to buy gun The Washington Post Retrieved July 11 2015 Charleston shooting System failure allowed Roof to buy gun FBI BBC July 10 2015 Retrieved July 10 2015 Charleston Church Shooting Suspect Dylann Storm Roof Is Captured The New York Times June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 On Facebook Dylann Roof Charleston Suspect Wears Symbols of White Supremacy The New York Times June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 Everything Known About Charleston Church 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Archived from the original on June 20 2015 Retrieved June 20 2015 Schmidt Michael S July 3 2015 Charleston Suspect Was In Touch With Supremacists Officials Say The New York Times Retrieved July 3 2015 Monk John July 2 2015 EXCLUSIVE Charges possible against church shooter s associates The State Retrieved July 3 2015 Berman Mark August 23 2016 Prosecutors say Dylann Roof self radicalized online wrote another manifesto in jail The Washington Post Retrieved August 23 2016 Kinnard Meg August 23 2016 Feds Church shooting suspect entrenched in his beliefs Yahoo News Associated Press Archived from the original on August 24 2016 Retrieved August 23 2016 Calamur Peralta Krishnadev Eyder June 18 2015 Police Arrest Suspect In Charleston Church Shooting NPR Retrieved April 8 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Safi Michael June 18 2015 Charleston shooting florist Debbie Dills hailed a hero after tailing suspect s car The 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timeline CNN Retrieved June 19 2015 Dearden Lizzie Guion Payton June 19 2015 Charleston shooting Suspect Dylann Roof in custody as US mourns massacre live updates The Independent Retrieved June 19 2015 a b Stableford Dylan June 19 2015 Families of Charleston shooting victims to Dylann Roof We forgive you Yahoo News Retrieved June 19 2015 Arkin Daniel June 19 2015 Dylann Roof Almost Didn t Go Through With Charleston Church Shooting NBC News Retrieved June 19 2015 Berman Mark June 19 2015 I forgive you Relatives of Charleston church shooting victims address Dylann Roof The Washington Post Retrieved June 19 2015 Paddock Barry Shapiro Rich June 19 2015 S C judge urges support for accused murderer Dylann Roof s family in bizarre court speech The New York Daily News Retrieved June 21 2015 Chuck Elizabeth June 20 2015 Judge Who Presided Over Dylann Roof Bond Hearing Was Reprimanded for Racial Slur NBC News Retrieved June 21 2015 Neuman Scott June 19 2015 1 Million Bond For Charleston Church Shooting Suspect NPR S C governor calls for death penalty in church shooting The Boston Globe June 19 2015 Retrieved June 19 2015 Chasmar Jessica June 3 2016 Nikki Haley links Donald Trump to Charleston shooting I know what that rhetoric can do The Washington Times Retrieved June 19 2015 Bacon John July 8 2015 Dylann Roof indicted in deadly Charleston rampage USA Today Retrieved July 9 2015 Kinnard Meg July 7 2015 New charges in Charleston church shooting Attempted murder Yahoo News Retrieved July 7 2015 Charleston Shooting Suspect Roof To Be Indicted On Federal Hate Crime Charges NPR July 22 2015 Retrieved July 22 2015 Knapp Andrew December 13 2015 In court two cases against Dylann Roof playing out at different pace The Post and Courier Retrieved January 6 2016 Kinnard Meg Smith Bruce July 31 2015 Not guilty plea in federal court for church shooting suspect Yahoo News Retrieved July 31 2015 Cohen Andrew July 31 2015 Meet Dylan Roof s Defender The Marshall Project Retrieved July 31 2015 Kinnard Meg Collins Jeffrey September 3 2015 Prosecutor Church shooting suspect to face death penalty Yahoo News Retrieved September 3 2015 McLeod Harriet September 16 2015 Accused gunman in Charleston church shooting proposes guilty plea Yahoo News Retrieved September 16 2015 Federal Trial Delayed for Charleston Church Shooter Dylann Roof NBC News October 1 2015 Retrieved October 1 2015 News Wrap Federal trial postponed again for Dylann Roof PBS NewsHour December 1 2015 Retrieved December 4 2015 Court hearing scheduled for February for Dylann Roof friend FOX Carolina 21 January 7 2016 Retrieved January 7 2016 Knapp Andrew January 7 2016 Federal hearing for church shooter Dylann Roof friend set for Feb 11 The Post and Courier Retrieved January 21 2016 Maxwell Tonya November 7 2016 Jury selection in Charleston 9 trial of Dylann Roof postponed Asheville Citizen Times Retrieved November 7 2016 Dylann Roof case Jury selection postponed over competency issue CNN November 8 2016 Retrieved November 9 2016 Hawes Jennifer November 16 2021 Judge rules Dylann Roof competency hearing closed to the public The Post and Courier Archived from the original on April 4 2021 Retrieved April 4 2021 Dylann Roof represents self in Charleston murder trial CNN November 28 2016 Retrieved November 28 2016 Judge grants Dylann Roof s unwise request to represent himself in church shooting trial Chicago Tribune November 28 2016 Retrieved November 28 2016 Charleston massacre accused Dylann Roof to defend himself BBC News November 28 2016 Retrieved November 28 2016 Sack Kevin November 28 2016 Dylann Roof to Represent Himself at Trial in Charleston Church Shootings The New York Times Retrieved November 28 2016 Dylann Roof Wants His Lawyers Back to Begin Trial The New York Times December 4 2016 Retrieved December 5 2016 Dylann Roof accused Charleston church gunman asks for defense team back The Guardian December 4 2016 Retrieved December 5 2016 Dylann Roof to judge Let lawyers back on death penalty case Los Angeles Times December 4 2016 Retrieved December 5 2016 Dylann Roof to judge Let lawyers back on S C church death penalty case Chicago Tribune December 4 2016 Retrieved December 5 2016 Judge Allows Dylann Roof to Hire Back His Lawyers for Guilt Phase of Trial NBC News December 5 2016 Retrieved December 5 2016 Accused Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof allowed to hire lawyers back for now Los Angeles Times December 5 2016 Retrieved December 5 2016 Johnson Alex December 6 2016 Judge Denies Motion to Delay Charleston Church Shooting Suspect Dylann Roof s Trial Over Slager Outrage NBC News Retrieved December 7 2016 Stein Sam June 2 2016 Hillary Clinton Supports Death Penalty For Dylann Roof The Huffington Post Retrieved August 17 2016 Feig Zakk November 25 2016 Dylan Roof declared competent to stand trial Hotnewhiphop Retrieved November 25 2016 Alan Blinder Dylann Roof Charleston Church Killer Is Deemed Competent for Sentencing The New York Times January 2 2017 Sack Kevin Blinder Alan December 7 2016 Heart Rending Testimony as Dylann Roof Trial Opens The New York Times Retrieved December 7 2016 Alan Blinder and Kevin Sack Spared by Gunman in Charleston Churchgoer Describes Night of Terror The New York Times December 4 2016 Alan Blinder and Kevin Sack Dylann Roof Found Guilty in Charleston Church Massacre The New York Times December 15 2016 a b Alan Blinder and Kevin Sack Dylann Roof Addressing Court Offers No Apology or Explanation for Massacre The New York Times January 4 2017 Matt Zapotosky Charleston church shooter I would like to make it crystal clear I do not regret what I did The Washington Post January 4 2016 Dylann Roof Charleston suspect wore symbols of white supremacy Gulf News USA June 19 2015 Retrieved June 25 2015 Dylann Roof Charleston Suspect Wore Symbols of White Supremacy The New York Times June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 The History Of Using White Female Sexuality To Justify Racist Violence The Huffington Post June 18 2015 Retrieved June 25 2015 Bouie Jamelle June 18 2015 The deadly history of They re raping our women Salon Retrieved June 25 2015 Charleston mass shooting Reminder of past racist attacks on black churches The Christian Science Monitor June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 Lucas Phillip June 21 2015 Songs prayer accompany first service since shooting at Charleston church The Providence Journal AP Retrieved May 24 2021 Richardson Clemon June 24 2015 Charleston Church filled with signs of good and evil North Dallas Gazette Retrieved July 1 2015 Goodwyn Wade June 26 2015 President Obama Delivers Eulogy At Funeral For Rev Clementa Pinckney NPR Retrieved July 1 2015 Jarvie Jenny June 24 2015 Hundreds line up in South Carolina s capital to honor slain pastor Clementa Pinckney Los Angeles Times Retrieved July 1 2015 Chuck Elizabeth June 27 2015 They Will Not Have Died in Vain Funerals Held for Three Charleston Victims NBC News Retrieved June 27 2015 Foundation established for cause close to Charleston shooting victim s heart WCNC June 26 2015 Archived from the original on June 27 2015 Retrieved June 26 2015 Schafer Susanne M July 2 2015 Last Funeral for Victim of Charleston Shooting in Columbia ABC News Archived from the original on July 4 2015 Retrieved May 24 2021 Weismann Lisa May 30 2016 Artists donate talent for Emanuel AME victim portraits Frankly Media and Raycom Media Live5News Retrieved June 2 2016 Charleston portrait project pays tribute to Emanuel 9 Media General Communications Holdings LLC WCBD News 2 May 29 2016 Retrieved June 2 2016 Portrait of Slain Senator Revealed in Senate Chambers WLTX TV May 25 2016 Retrieved August 9 2023 Wakeman Emily January 21 2020 Allen University breathes new life into hospital once used to serve African Americans in segregation era WIS TV Retrieved December 2 2023 Cleary Tom June 18 2015 Clementa Pinckney Dead 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Heavy Retrieved December 2 2023 Rev Daniel L Simmons Sr SC African American History 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July 12 2015 Volokh Eugene July 11 2015 Dylann Roof apparently had not been arrested for a felony a month before he went through a gun purchase background check The Washington Post Retrieved July 12 2015 Collins Jeffrey July 13 2015 Jail clerical error acknowledged in church shooting gun buy Yahoo News Retrieved July 13 2015 Jail error led to Charleston shooting suspect s gun purchase CBS News July 14 2015 Retrieved July 14 2015 Adcox Seanna December 19 2015 SC bills aim to close loophole that allowed Dylann Roof to buy a gun The State Retrieved January 6 2016 Kinnard Meg July 1 2016 Charleston church shooting victims sue FBI over gun buy Yahoo News Associated Press Retrieved June 17 2023 No 18 1931 PDF Kinnard Meg September 17 2015 Official Friend of Charleston church shooter arrested Yahoo News Retrieved September 17 2015 Kinnard Meg September 18 2015 Indictment Church shooter s friend knew about attack plans Yahoo News Retrieved September 18 2015 Joey Meek friend of Dylann Roof pleads not guilty to federal charges The Washington Post September 18 2015 Retrieved October 6 2015 Monk John April 29 2016 Joey Meek knew what Dylann Roof was going to do told others not to talk to FBI The State newspaper Retrieved November 7 2016 Dylann Roof friend sentenced to 27 months in prison CNN March 21 2017 Retrieved May 18 2017 9 people killed in shooting at black church in Charleston S C Canadian Broadcasting Corporation June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 Obama On Charleston Shooting This Type Of Mass Violence Does Not Happen In Other Advanced Countries The Huffington Post June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 Read President Obama s Speech on the Charleston Church Shooting Time June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 U S to fast track 29 million to help Charleston shooting victims families Reuters June 19 2015 Retrieved June 26 2015 Long Colleen Miller Zeke Superville Darlene January 8 2024 WATCH Biden condemns poison of white supremacy in campaign speech at South Carolina church PBS News Retrieved January 13 2024 Kedmey Dan June 19 2015 Dylann Roof s Family Breaks Silence on Shooting Time Retrieved June 19 2015 Organizers says 20 000 joined Bridge to Peace march on Ravenel Bridge ABC News 4 June 21 2015 Retrieved March 3 2016 Response to Deadly Shootings at Church in Charleston SC World Methodist Council 2015 Archived from the original on June 21 2015 Retrieved June 21 2015 Message of solidarity sent to African Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Church in Britain June 19 2015 Retrieved June 20 2015 Hahn Heather Brodie Matt June 18 2015 United Methodists stand with AME after church shooting The United Methodist Church Retrieved June 21 2015 Reddick Lawrence June 18 2015 News amp Announcements for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Archived from the original on June 25 2015 Retrieved June 21 2015 Kenny Peter June 18 2015 Worldwide churches condemn US race hate killing in Charleston Ecumenical News Kuruvilla Carol Blumberg Antonia June 18 2015 Faith Community Rallies Around Charleston Church After Shooting The Huffington Post Establishing June 17 as Emanuel 9 Commemoration and Day of Repentance PDF ELCA org Retrieved July 17 2020 Commemoration of the Emanuel Nine June 17 ELCA org Retrieved July 17 2020 a b ELCA leaders express grief over shooting in South Carolina ELCA org Retrieved July 17 2020 AJC Deplores Fatal Attack on Black Charleston Church AJC June 18 2015 Archived from the original on June 24 2015 Retrieved June 26 2015 Reform Movement Mourns Victims of Charleston AME Tragedy RJ org June 18 2015 Archived from the original on June 27 2015 Retrieved June 26 2015 Wilner Michael June 18 2015 Jewish groups express heartbreak over Charleston church shooting The Jerusalem Post Our Community Responds to the Charleston Tragedy Detroit Interfaith Council Archived from the original on June 21 2015 Retrieved June 30 2015 a b c US Muslims Call for Charleston Day of Prayer OnIslam Archived from the original on August 3 2015 Retrieved May 6 2021 Leader of the Nation s Mosque Response to Charleston Killings Masjid Muhammad The Nation s Mosque June 21 2015 Retrieved June 5 2021 ISNA Statement on Charleston Church Shooting isna net Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved June 30 2015 Blau Max July 10 2015 Muslim and Jewish groups at forefront of efforts to rebuild black churches The Guardian Retrieved July 11 2015 U S presidential candidates react to South Carolina church shootings Reuters June 18 2015 Retrieved June 18 2015 Gonyea Don Montanaro Domenico June 19 2015 Predictably Democrats Republicans Don t Agree on Charleston Causes Solutions NPR Retrieved June 22 2015 Gass Henry June 22 2015 How presidential candidates are responding to Charleston S C shooting The Christian Science Monitor Retrieved June 23 2015 Kreps Daniel June 19 2015 Watch Jon Stewart s Heartbreaking Charleston Shooting Monologue Rolling Stone Retrieved June 19 2015 Thompson Catherine June 22 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York Times June 18 2015 Retrieved August 7 2017 https jg tc com news national state suspect aimed to kill at least white churchgoers article 7313a262 6692 5f9b be25 448bdae251b8 html dead link Ganz Jami May 21 2019 Nashville area shooter wanted to kill 10 white congregants to avenge Charleston church victims New York Daily News Retrieved June 16 2019 Bowles Laken May 21 2019 Gunman s note Dylann Roof is less than nothing says shooting was vengeance for Charleston News Channel 5 Nashville Retrieved June 14 2019 South Carolina Confederate Monument The Historical Marker Database Retrieved June 24 2015 a b Moyer Justin Wm June 19 2015 Why South Carolina s Confederate flag isn t at half staff after church shooting The Washington Post Retrieved June 19 2015 Alcindor Yamiche Stanglin Doug June 19 2015 Dylann Roof charged with 9 counts of murder in Charleston attack USA Today Retrieved June 19 2015 Rogers Katie June 19 2015 Charleston Shooting Reignites Debate About Confederate Flag The New York Times Retrieved June 20 2015 Barbaro Michael June 20 2015 Mitt Romney Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz Weigh In on Confederate Flag at South Carolina Capitol The New York Times Retrieved June 21 2015 Macpherson Robert June 20 2015 Protesters target Confederate flag after Charleston killings Yahoo News Retrieved June 21 2015 Niquette Mark June 22 2015 South Carolina Governor Backs Removal of Confederate Flag Bloomberg News Retrieved June 22 2015 Sack Kevin Alvarez Lizette June 26 2015 President Obama Eulogizes Charleston Pastor as One Who Understood Grace The New York Times Retrieved June 26 2015 The Washington Post Jenny Horne How a descendant of the president of the Confederacy helped vanquish his flag accessdate 2015 07 09 Wagner Meg Siemaszko Corky July 10 2015 Confederate flag fans critics gather at S C statehouse The New York Daily News Retrieved July 10 2015 Lee MJ June 23 2015 Walmart Amazon com Sears eBay to stop selling Confederate flag merchandise CNN Retrieved June 23 2015 Rich McCormik June 23 2015 Warner Bros scraps Dukes of Hazzard car toys over Confederate flag controversy The Verge Retrieved June 24 2015 McAllister Edward June 24 2015 At rural South Carolina flag factory sadness and pride Reuters Osborn Katy June 23 2015 Prominent Flag Manufacturer Will Stop Producing Confederate Flags Time Retrieved June 23 2015 Chapa Sergio June 23 2015 Dixie Flag will no longer sell confederate flags San Antonio Business Journal Retrieved June 25 2015 New Orleans tears down Confederate monument CBS News April 24 2017 Pisarro Marcelo September 2017 Memorias en guerra en Estados Unidos La Nacion Ideas Institutions reconsider Confederate memorials after Charleston S C church shooting Mass Live July 5 2015 Retrieved July 6 2015 Poll Majority sees Confederate flag as Southern pride symbol not racist CNN July 2 2015 Retrieved July 10 2015 a b c Swaine Jon Glenza Jessica June 22 2015 Four Republican hopefuls return money after Dylann Roof manifesto s revelation The Guardian Retrieved June 22 2015 Alexander Harriet June 22 2015 Republican candidates accepted donations from man whose organisation inspired Dylann Roof The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on January 12 2022 Retrieved June 22 2015 a b Lichtblau Eric June 22 2015 White Supremacist Donated to 2016 G O P Campaigns The New York Times Retrieved June 22 2015 a b Leader of group cited in Dylann Roof manifesto donated to top Republicans The Guardian June 22 2015 Retrieved June 22 2015 Thompson Catherine June 22 2015 Santorum To Give Away Money Donated To Him By White Supremacist Talking Points Memo Retrieved June 22 2015 Chowdhry Affan June 19 2015 Questions surround reluctance to label Charleston shooting as terrorism The Globe and Mail Retrieved June 21 2015 Phillips Brian J June 18 2015 Was what happened in Charleston terrorism The Washington Post Retrieved June 21 2015 Bergen Peter Sterman David June 19 2015 Call it terrorism in Charleston CNN Retrieved June 21 2015 Groll Elias June 18 2015 Was the Charleston Massacre an Act of Terrorism Foreign Policy Retrieved June 21 2015 Cobb Jelani June 29 2015 Terrorism in Charleston The New Yorker Retrieved June 21 2015 Gladstone Rick June 18 2015 Civil rights experts have one word for church attack It was terrorism The New York Times Retrieved June 21 2015 Greenwald Glenn June 19 2015 Refusal to Call Charleston Shootings Terrorism Again Shows It s a Meaningless Propaganda Term The Intercept a b FBI Director Charleston shooting not terrorism WHAM TV June 20 2015 Archived from the original on June 28 2015 Retrieved June 20 2015 Harris Shane June 22 2015 White House Won t Back FBI Chief on Charleston Terror The Daily Beast Retrieved July 3 2015 Gumbel Andrew June 25 2015 Beyond Dylann Roof inside the hunt for domestic extremists in the digital age The Guardian Retrieved July 4 2015 Melber Ari June 24 2015 FBI Terrorism charges not ruled out in Charleston shooting MSNBC Retrieved June 24 2015 Bidgood Jess February 16 2017 Man in South Carolina Wanted to Copy Dylann Roof Officials Say The New York Times Archived from the original on February 17 2017 Retrieved March 21 2021 Toledo couple indicted for conspiracy to use explosives and firearms to kill and injure others United States Department of Justice January 3 2019 Retrieved February 21 2019 Santiago Elyn December 12 2018 Elizabeth LeCron 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Heavy Retrieved June 16 2019 Hutton Caleb December 11 2018 Man with arsenal allegedly fantasized about killing Jews The Everett Herald Retrieved June 16 2019 Beauchamp Zack February 7 2019 An online subculture celebrating the Charleston church shooter appears to be inspiring copycat plots Vox Retrieved August 17 2019 Blumenthal Paul Schulberg Jessica O Brien Luke March 16 2019 Mass Shooters Have Been Exploiting The Internet For Years New Zealand Took It To A New Level HuffPost Retrieved August 17 2019 Hardcore White Supremacists Elevate Dylann Roof to Cult Hero Status Anti Defamation League Retrieved August 17 2019 Charleston church shooting 88m settlement reached BBC News October 29 2021 Retrieved October 29 2021 Williams Pete October 29 2021 Justice Department reaches settlement with families of 2015 Charleston church massacre NBC News Retrieved October 29 2021 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Charleston church shooting The Last Rhodesian via Archive org Dylann Roof website South Carolina State Senate Debate on the Confederate Flag C SPAN June 23 2015 Charlestonsyllabus a list of academic sources related to the shooting Marcelo Pisarro Un ano de la masacre de Charleston el debate que no fue La Nacion June 12 2016 Spanish Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charleston church shooting amp oldid 1197620770, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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