DOJ will seek death penalty for accused Charleston church shooter
WASHINGTON D.C. -- The Department of Justice announced Tuesday they will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof accused of shooting nine black parishioners to death in Charleston, South Carolina, last year.
Roof, 21, faces dozens of federal charges, including hate crimes, stemming from the June 17 shootings. Six women and three men were killed at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
"Following the department's rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a statement. "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision."
Last month 21-year-old Joey Meek, a friend of Roof, pleaded guilty to lying to authorities and failure to report a crime.
Authorities said Meek failed to tell investigators all he knew about Roof's plans to shoot nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church.
Meek previously said Roof stayed with him before the shootings.
He also previously told CBS News that Roof had complained that "black people was taking over the country."
Meek said that Roof told him he wanted to "start a civil war."
"It was a plan," Meek told CBS News in 2015 about the attack. "He said that he was planning it for six months."
Meek, of Lexington, S.C., also said Roof told him that he used birthday money from his parents to buy a .45-caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun.
Meek said he took the gun away from Roof the night of his drunken rant but gave it back when he had sobered up.