Charleston church shooting trial set for 2016

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33557532

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The man accused of murdering nine people at a South Carolina church last month will stand trial next July.

Judge JC Nicholson set a 11 July 2016 trial date for Dylann Roof, who said nothing throughout the hearing.

Mr Roof is charged with killing the black parishioners during a bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

He faces nine counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder and has not yet entered a plea.

The FBI said earlier this month that Mr Roof was able to buy a gun due to a background check failure.

He should have been stopped from purchasing a weapon due to a felony charge, but information was incorrectly entered into the computer system.

"We are all sick that this happened. We wish we could turn back time," said FBI chief James Comey.

The FBI admission came on the same day South Carolina removed the Confederate flag from the capitol grounds in a ceremony attended by some relatives of the church shooting victims.

Mr Roof had been pictured holding the flag, which some say is a symbol of slavery.

President Barack Obama knew one of the victims, Pastor Clementa Pinckney, and gave a eulogy at his funeral.