Prosecutors Will Seek Death Penalty for Dylann Roof in Charleston Church Shooting

South Carolina prosecutors announced today that they will seek the death penalty for Dylann Storm Roof, the 21-year-old white man accused of shooting and killing nine people at Charleston’s historically black Emanuel AME Church on June 17.

A judge entered a not guilty plea for Roof, who faces nine counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and a weapons charge.

According to court documents filed by South Carolina prosecutor Scarlett Wilson today, the state will present a litany of evidence against Roof, including “photographs, video tapes, diagrams of the scene and victims, expert testimony, and statements by the Defendant, internet postings by the Defendant and other testimony related thereto.”

Roof’s alleged white power manifesto, laying out his hatred for black people and apparent motivation for the attacks, was discovered online shortly after his arrest.

He has also pleaded not guilty to 33 federal hate crime counts. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced those charges in July, saying Roof “decided to seek out and murder African Americans because of their race.”

Roof’s attorney said his client initially wanted to plead guilty to the federal charges, but he advised Roof to hold off until the government’s intentions were clear, the AP reports.

[Photo: AP Images]