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| Charleston shooting was Dylann Roof's 'racial retribution', prosecutor says | Charleston shooting was Dylann Roof's 'racial retribution', prosecutor says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Prosecutors accused Dylann Roof of spending months planning an attack on a historic black church in South Carolina on Wednesday and acting with a “cold and hateful heart” as he gunned down nine African American parishioners during the brutal hate crime. | Prosecutors accused Dylann Roof of spending months planning an attack on a historic black church in South Carolina on Wednesday and acting with a “cold and hateful heart” as he gunned down nine African American parishioners during the brutal hate crime. |
| During opening arguments in the federal trial, assistant US attorney Jay Richardson said he intended to prove that the assault was “cold and calculated” and “racist retribution for perceived offenses against the white race”. | During opening arguments in the federal trial, assistant US attorney Jay Richardson said he intended to prove that the assault was “cold and calculated” and “racist retribution for perceived offenses against the white race”. |
| Roof faces 33 charges, including hate crimes, murder, attempted murder and obstruction of religion, and could face the death penalty. The 22-year-old has also been charged in a state murder case, which also carries the death penalty and will follow this trial. | Roof faces 33 charges, including hate crimes, murder, attempted murder and obstruction of religion, and could face the death penalty. The 22-year-old has also been charged in a state murder case, which also carries the death penalty and will follow this trial. |
| He is accused of entering a Bible study class at the Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston on the evening of 17 June 2015, listening to the lesson and then opening fire on attendees as he uttered racial insults. | He is accused of entering a Bible study class at the Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston on the evening of 17 June 2015, listening to the lesson and then opening fire on attendees as he uttered racial insults. |
| There was heavy security at US courthouse in downtown Charleston, with local police and federal officers from the Department of Homeland Security positioned outside the building. | There was heavy security at US courthouse in downtown Charleston, with local police and federal officers from the Department of Homeland Security positioned outside the building. |
| As Richardson commenced his opening remarks, he paid tribute to the nine people killed during the attack, and displayed photographs of the victims as he spoke about about each one individually. Susie Jackson, 87 and the oldest victim, was “a proud matriarch”, he said. Ethel Lance, 70, was “utterly devoted” to the Mother Emanuel church, while the three clergy killed in the attack, Clementa Pinckney, Daniel Simmons Sr, and DePayne Middleton-Doctor, were “inspiring ministers”. | As Richardson commenced his opening remarks, he paid tribute to the nine people killed during the attack, and displayed photographs of the victims as he spoke about about each one individually. Susie Jackson, 87 and the oldest victim, was “a proud matriarch”, he said. Ethel Lance, 70, was “utterly devoted” to the Mother Emanuel church, while the three clergy killed in the attack, Clementa Pinckney, Daniel Simmons Sr, and DePayne Middleton-Doctor, were “inspiring ministers”. |
| Myra Thompson, 59, had just received her preaching certificate and was planning to lead Bible study class for the first time that evening, Richardson said. | Myra Thompson, 59, had just received her preaching certificate and was planning to lead Bible study class for the first time that evening, Richardson said. |
| Roof, who sat motionless in the courtroom in a grey-and-white-striped jail-issued uniform throughout the statement, stared away from the photographs as they flashed up on screen. Before proceedings began he had rocked back and forth on his chair, occasionally combing through papers on the desk in front of him. | Roof, who sat motionless in the courtroom in a grey-and-white-striped jail-issued uniform throughout the statement, stared away from the photographs as they flashed up on screen. Before proceedings began he had rocked back and forth on his chair, occasionally combing through papers on the desk in front of him. |
| Richardson provided further details of events on 17 June, stating that Roof had come to the church armed with eight magazines of ammunition and had waited until the group had “closed their eyes to offer prayer” before he commenced the attack. “It was at that moment he made clear what he had been planning for months,” Richardson said. | Richardson provided further details of events on 17 June, stating that Roof had come to the church armed with eight magazines of ammunition and had waited until the group had “closed their eyes to offer prayer” before he commenced the attack. “It was at that moment he made clear what he had been planning for months,” Richardson said. |
| He said Roof first opened fire on the church’s pastor Clementa Pinckney, who had offered the 22 year-old a seat next to him during the class, shooting Pinckney “over and over again” and then opening fire on the Rev Simmons, who had rushed towards Roof after he shot Pinckney. | He said Roof first opened fire on the church’s pastor Clementa Pinckney, who had offered the 22 year-old a seat next to him during the class, shooting Pinckney “over and over again” and then opening fire on the Rev Simmons, who had rushed towards Roof after he shot Pinckney. |
| Richardson said Roof then proceeded to shoot each victim “over and over again”, adding that the white supremacist emptied an “entire magazine” on 87-year-old Jackson. He said that Roof ordered one of the survivors of the attack, Polly Jackson, “to shut up” as she prayed, “asked if she had been shot”, and then spared her life because “he was wanted to have her alive to tell the story”. | Richardson said Roof then proceeded to shoot each victim “over and over again”, adding that the white supremacist emptied an “entire magazine” on 87-year-old Jackson. He said that Roof ordered one of the survivors of the attack, Polly Jackson, “to shut up” as she prayed, “asked if she had been shot”, and then spared her life because “he was wanted to have her alive to tell the story”. |
| Richardson also described the moment that 26-year-old Tywanza Sanders, who had been shot, attempted to reason with Roof, telling him: “We mean you no harm.” | Richardson also described the moment that 26-year-old Tywanza Sanders, who had been shot, attempted to reason with Roof, telling him: “We mean you no harm.” |
| Roof, Richardson said, then replied: “Y’all are taking over the world,” before he repeatedly shot Sanders. | Roof, Richardson said, then replied: “Y’all are taking over the world,” before he repeatedly shot Sanders. |
| The six public benches on the righthand side of the court were filled almost entirely with members of the church and the families of the victims. Many sobbed during the most graphic parts of Richardson’s opening argument. One member of the public, a relative of Ethel Lance, received the statements through sign language and nodded slowly as the statement was imparted. | The six public benches on the righthand side of the court were filled almost entirely with members of the church and the families of the victims. Many sobbed during the most graphic parts of Richardson’s opening argument. One member of the public, a relative of Ethel Lance, received the statements through sign language and nodded slowly as the statement was imparted. |
| The prosecutor accused Roof of scouting the church out “on repeated trips” and calling to enquire about the timing of services. On the day of the attack, Richardson said, Roof travelled to his father’s house to upload a manifesto to his website. | The prosecutor accused Roof of scouting the church out “on repeated trips” and calling to enquire about the timing of services. On the day of the attack, Richardson said, Roof travelled to his father’s house to upload a manifesto to his website. |
| “He chose that church because of the impact it would have,” Richardson said, claiming Roof wanted the attack to “resonate across the nation”. Roof confessed to the killings during an interview with the FBI shortly after he was arrested, the prosecutor said, repeatedly stating “he had to do it” because “white supremacy groups were just talk”. | “He chose that church because of the impact it would have,” Richardson said, claiming Roof wanted the attack to “resonate across the nation”. Roof confessed to the killings during an interview with the FBI shortly after he was arrested, the prosecutor said, repeatedly stating “he had to do it” because “white supremacy groups were just talk”. |
| Richardson warned the 12 jurors, they would be shown “gruesome” images of the scene’s aftermath. “Seeing what he left behind must be shown,” he said. | Richardson warned the 12 jurors, they would be shown “gruesome” images of the scene’s aftermath. “Seeing what he left behind must be shown,” he said. |
| “You labour here seeking the truth,” Richardson said. “His hatred … will not win in this courtroom. Justice must prevail.” | “You labour here seeking the truth,” Richardson said. “His hatred … will not win in this courtroom. Justice must prevail.” |
| Roof has indicated to the court he will represent himself during the sentencing part of the trial, where the jury will likely have to decide whether to sentence the 22-year-old to death. | Roof has indicated to the court he will represent himself during the sentencing part of the trial, where the jury will likely have to decide whether to sentence the 22-year-old to death. |
| During opening arguments for the defence, David Bruck indicated the defence may call no witnesses at all and said that the events Richardson described “clearly did occur”. But he urged the jury to ask of Roof: “Who is he? Why did he do it? Where did this come from?” | During opening arguments for the defence, David Bruck indicated the defence may call no witnesses at all and said that the events Richardson described “clearly did occur”. But he urged the jury to ask of Roof: “Who is he? Why did he do it? Where did this come from?” |
| “Ask yourself where this extraordinary degree, this intense degree of hatred came from,” Bruck said. | “Ask yourself where this extraordinary degree, this intense degree of hatred came from,” Bruck said. |
| Richardson objected six times during Bruck’s opening argument, arguing that some of the argument related to sentencing rather than guilt. | Richardson objected six times during Bruck’s opening argument, arguing that some of the argument related to sentencing rather than guilt. |
| At the end of opening arguments, a white woman believed to be Roof’s mother, collapsed. She had been shaking and sobbing throughout proceedings. | At the end of opening arguments, a white woman believed to be Roof’s mother, collapsed. She had been shaking and sobbing throughout proceedings. |
| Felicia Sanders, one of the survivors of the attack and the mother of Tywanza, testified on Wednesday afternoon. | |
| Through tears, with Roof looking down the entire time, she described Roof’s arrival at the bible study class. | Through tears, with Roof looking down the entire time, she described Roof’s arrival at the bible study class. |
| “I just thought he was somebody coming in to seek the word,” adding that he chuckled during the class and “hanged his head down, most of the time, just the way he’s doing now”. | “I just thought he was somebody coming in to seek the word,” adding that he chuckled during the class and “hanged his head down, most of the time, just the way he’s doing now”. |
| The group stood up and shut their eyes to say a prayer, she recalled. “I screamed ‘he has a gun’. By then he had already shot Rev Pinckney.” | The group stood up and shut their eyes to say a prayer, she recalled. “I screamed ‘he has a gun’. By then he had already shot Rev Pinckney.” |
| She added: “Rev Simmons said ‘Let me check on my pastor, I need to check on my pastor.’ Just let me check on my pastor. | She added: “Rev Simmons said ‘Let me check on my pastor, I need to check on my pastor.’ Just let me check on my pastor. |
| “Then Rev Simmons got shot.” | “Then Rev Simmons got shot.” |
| Sanders grabbed hold of her grandchild, she recalled. “She was saying: ‘Granny, I’m so scared.’ I said: ‘Just be quiet.’ I said: ‘Just play dead. Play dead.’ And so I muzzled her face to my body, I muzzled her face to my body so tight that I thought I suffocated her becuase I didn’t want her to make a sound.” | Sanders grabbed hold of her grandchild, she recalled. “She was saying: ‘Granny, I’m so scared.’ I said: ‘Just be quiet.’ I said: ‘Just play dead. Play dead.’ And so I muzzled her face to my body, I muzzled her face to my body so tight that I thought I suffocated her becuase I didn’t want her to make a sound.” |
| She said her son Tywanza asked Roof why he was doing this. “He said: ‘I have to do this.’ And that’s when he put about five bullets in my son.” | She said her son Tywanza asked Roof why he was doing this. “He said: ‘I have to do this.’ And that’s when he put about five bullets in my son.” |
| She added: “I watched him take his last breathe. I watched my son come into this world. I watched my son leave this life.” | She added: “I watched him take his last breathe. I watched my son come into this world. I watched my son leave this life.” |