Dylann Roof admits killing nine, says he wanted ‘to start a race war’

Dylann Roof, the man charged with the killing of nine people in a church shooting, has reportedly told authorities he ‘wanted to start a race war’

The news comes as the South Carolina governor Nikki Haley said the gunman should get the death penalty.

‘We will absolutely want him to have the death penalty,’ she told NBC.

Roof was caught in Shelby, North Carolina, 250 miles from the church where he gunned down nine black people attending a bible study group and prayer meeting.

One survivor described how he reloaded his gun five times as he shot down his victims Myra Thompson, 59, Clementa Pinckney, 41, Tywanza Sanders, 26, Sharonda A. Coleman-Singleton, 45, DePayne Middleton, 49, Cynthia Hurd, 54, Ethel Lance, 70, Susie Jackson, 87, and Reverend Daniel Simmons.

Dylann Roof,  from Lexington, was arrested after he was identified by his own uncle Carson Cowels, 56, who recognised him on CCTV footage released by police.

Cowels said his nephew had received a gun for his birthday in April. It’s not yet known if the .45 calibre pistol was the gun used in the attack.

 

The victims