The Unraveling of Dylann Roof: A Tragic Tale of Hate and Violence

The Charleston Church Shooting

On the evening of June 17, 2015, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historic beacon in Charleston, South Carolina, became the scene of a horrifying massacre. During a routine Bible study session, Dylann Storm Roof, a 21-year-old white man, opened fire with a Glock 41 .45-caliber handgun. The assault left nine African American churchgoers dead, including the church's senior pastor and state senator Clementa C. Pinckney. A tenth person was injured. Roof's heinous act was not just a murder; it was a calculated attempt to incite a race war. By the morning of June 18, Roof was apprehended in Shelby, North Carolina, after a nationwide manhunt. He confessed to the shooting with chilling indifference, stating his desire to ignite a racial conflict.

Background and Early Life

Born on April 3, 1994, in Columbia, South Carolina, Dylann Roof's upbringing was marred by instability. His parents, Franklin Bennett Roof, a carpenter, and Amelia "Amy" Cowles, a bartender, divorced but briefly reconciled at his birth. At age five, his father married Paige Mann, but this union ended ten years later amid allegations of abuse. Roof's childhood was marked by obsessive-compulsive behavior and a fixation on germs, as noted in a 2009 divorce affidavit. His schooling was erratic; he attended at least seven schools across two counties, ultimately dropping out in 2010. Despite his chaotic educational history, he was connected to a local Evangelical Lutheran congregation, though his attendance was questionable.

Roof's social life was similarly troubled. He drifted between his parents' homes in Columbia and Hopkins, mostly raised by his stepmother. In the weeks leading up to the attack, he lived intermittently with a former school friend, indulging in drugs and alcohol. Despite his uncle Carson Cowles' attempts at mentorship, Roof retreated into isolation, severing ties with family and rejecting social invitations, such as his sister's wedding.

Encounters with Law Enforcement

Roof's interactions with the law foreshadowed his violent trajectory. In early 2015, he was arrested twice and had another police encounter. On February 28, mall security at Columbia's Columbiana Centre called the police after Roof, dressed in black, asked unsettling questions. A search revealed he possessed Suboxone without a prescription, leading to a misdemeanor drug charge and a year-long ban from the mall.

On March 13, Roof was investigated for loitering near a park in Columbia. Police found an AR-15 forearm grip and several magazines in his car, but no charges were filed as possession was legal. A subsequent arrest on April 26 for trespassing at the mall extended his ban by three years. An FBI error during a background check allowed Roof to purchase the gun used in the massacre, a lapse later acknowledged by Director James Comey.

The Manifesto and Online Radicalization

Three days after the massacre, a website, "The Last Rhodesian," surfaced, revealing Roof's white supremacist ideology. The site, confirmed to belong to Roof, was a disturbing gallery of photos showing him with Confederate symbols, a neo-Nazi salute, and a manifesto. In his writings, Roof claimed his racism was sparked by media coverage of Trayvon Martin's death and an online deep dive into "black on white crime." He lamented the lack of action from white supremacists, declaring himself the harbinger of real-world violence.

The Capture and Confession

Roof's capture on June 18 was facilitated by a vigilant citizen, Debbie Dills, who recognized his car from media reports and alerted the police. Roof was stopped in Shelby, NC, with a .45-caliber pistol in his car. During interrogation, he admitted to planning the attack for six months, targeting Emanuel AME Church for its historical significance in African American history. Roof's chilling confession included a moment of hesitation; he almost aborted the attack due to the kindness shown by the Bible study group.

Legal Proceedings: A Dual Quest for Justice

Dylann Roof's trial was historic, as he faced the death penalty on both state and federal charges simultaneously. On June 19, 2015, he was charged in South Carolina with nine murders and one firearms violation. Federal charges followed, encompassing 33 counts, including hate crimes and obstruction of religious exercise. Roof was convicted on all counts in December 2016 and sentenced to death the following January.

The state trial saw Roof plead guilty in April 2017, receiving nine consecutive life sentences without parole, a safeguard against potential overturning of his federal death sentence. His federal death sentence remains in place, with Roof currently on death row at USP Terre Haute.

Mental Health and Appeals

Throughout the trials, Roof's mental health was scrutinized. Psychiatric evaluations revealed traits consistent with autism and social anxiety disorder, but Roof rejected any mental illness defense. He feared it would detract from his racially motivated rationale and tarnish his reputation. His appeals continue, focusing on his competency to represent himself during the penalty phase.

Aftermath and Legacy

Roof's actions reverberated through society, influencing other white supremacist attacks. Despite his incarceration, Roof's ideology persists online, and his name is invoked by others committing racially motivated violence. Legal proceedings against him have sparked debates on mental health defenses and the efficacy of background checks in firearm purchases.

As of December 2024, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of many federal death row inmates, but Roof remains excluded, serving as a stark reminder of the enduring impact of his crimes.

Sources

• Dylann Roof - Wikipedia