Dylann Storm Roof Sentenced to Death for Charleston Church Massacre

Dylann Storm Roof, 22, was sentenced to death by a federal jury in Charleston, South Carolina, after a swift three-hour deliberation. Roof was found guilty on Dec. 15, 2016, of 33 federal counts, including hate crimes, obstruction of religious exercise, and firearms violations, for the massacre of nine African-American worshipers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church—known as ‘Mother Emanuel.’ The June 17, 2015, attack unfolded during a Bible study, where Roof sat among the congregation before opening fire in a racially motivated act of terror.

The sentencing phase began January 4, 2017, and concluded with the jury imposing the death penalty on all eighteen capital counts. These included nine counts of obstruction of exercise of religion resulting in death—one for each victim—and nine counts of firearm use during murder in relation to hate crimes. District Judge Richard M. Gergel, who presided over the trial, will formally sentence Roof on January 11, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. in Charleston federal court.

U.S. Attorney Beth Drake of the District of South Carolina stated, ‘Motivated by racist hatred, Dylann Roof murdered and attempted to murder innocent African-American parishioners as they worshiped in the historic Mother Emanuel church.’ She emphasized that Roof’s attempt to incite racial division failed—the community responded with unity, resilience, and public forgiveness during the trial. ‘His deadly attack inside Mother Emanuel became an attack on all of us,’ Drake said.

Special Agent in Charge Alphonso Norris of the FBI’s Columbia Division praised the multi-agency response that began on the night of the shooting. ‘The excellent work of FBI agents, local and state partners—including the Charleston Police Department and SLED—has brought about what we hope is another step toward healing for the families and the Charleston community.’

The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay Richardson and Nathan Williams, with support from Deputy Chief Richard Burns of the Justice Department’s Capital Case Section and legal team members Stephen Curran and Mary Hahn from the Civil Rights Division. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also extended gratitude to the ATF, U.S. Marshals, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Charleston Fire Department, Shelby Police Department, and the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office for critical investigative support.

The Mother Emanuel massacre shocked the nation, sparking renewed debate over racial violence, Confederate symbols, and gun access. Roof’s trial laid bare the depths of his white supremacist ideology, which he expressed in a manifesto and photos posted online before the attack. The jury’s decision delivers the ultimate penalty for a crime that targeted faith, race, and sanctuary—all within the walls of one of the South’s oldest Black churches.