Charleston church shooter faces federal charges

The man accused of shooting nine people at a South Carolina church in June faces federal charges.

Dylann Roof was charged with hate crimes, firearms violations, and obstructing the practice of religion, among others.

The charges were announced in a news conference by United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who said Roof plotted the massacre for months.

Apart from federal charges, the 21-year-old had also been slapped with state charges, including nine counts of murder.

No decision has been made yet whether the federal government will seek death penalty for Roof. Lynch says they will consider the wishes of the victims' families, noting that some have expressed willingness to forgive him.

Roof was captured in North Carolina the day after the June 21 attack and sent back to the South. He admitted to the killings, according to law enforcement officials.

The victims, all African-Americans, were gathered for an evening bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston when Roof arrived. Survivors said he sat for a while before going on a shooting spree.

"You are raping our women and taking over our country," survivors quoted him as saying.

The U.S. attorney general said Roof meant to fan racial flames and exact revenge for perceived wrongs committed against white people.

"He was looking for the type of church and the type of parishioners whose death would in fact draw great notoriety for his racist views," said Lynch.

The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest and most famous African-American church in the South. In a website manifesto, Roof says he "chose Charleston because it is the most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to Whites in the country."

A photo of Roof shows him waving a Confederate battle flag, reviving stiff opposition to the Civil War-era symbol. Earlier this month, lawmakers voted to have the flag flying at the South Carolina legislature taken down.

The state does not have a hate crime law, which is why the justice department is pursuing federal charges against Roof to address the racial component of the crime.