Charleston shooting of 2015 was an incident in which a gunman killed nine people at an African American church in Charleston , South Carolina . The mass shooting took place on June 17, 2015, at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church , a church often referred to as “Mother Emanuel.” The shooter—who was white and expressed views in support of white supremacy— killed pastor Clementa C. Pinckney and eight other African American worshipers. White supremacists believe white people are superior to people of all other races.
On the evening of the shooting, 21-year old Dylann Roof joined 12 African Americans for Bible study at the church. Roof sat quietly for about half an hour. As the Bible study came to a close, the worshipers stood to pray. Roof then pulled out a handgun and started shooting. He killed 9 people before leaving the church.
The morning after the attack, police arrested Roof in the neighboring state of North Carolina . Roof later confessed that he committed the shooting in the hope of igniting a race war. Roof faced multiple federal and state criminal charges, many of which carried a potential penalty of death . His federal trial began in December 2016. That month, a jury found the Roof guilty of more than 30 charges, including 12 charges of committing a hate crime . In January 2017, the jury issued a recommendation that Roof receive the death penalty for his crimes.
Before the shooting, Roof had posted photos of himself online with emblems popular with white supremacists, including the Confederate battle flag from the American Civil War (1861-1865). Many Southerners believe the flag represents Southern pride and heritage. Many other people consider it a symbol of slavery and are offended by its continued use. Roof’s photos reignited debate over the flag’s display at many official Southern buildings. In July 2015, the flag was removed from the grounds of the South Carolina State House in Columbia .
