CHARLESTON, S.C., Dec. 10 (UPI) — Jurors in the federal murder trial of accused Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof watched a two-hour videotaped confession during arguments Friday in which the suspect describes his motivation for the assault.
Roof is on trial for the murder of nine people at Charleston’s historic Emanuel AME Church in June 2015.
He is facing the death penalty.
On the tape, Roof is seen telling FBI agents of his desire to start a race war — because “black people are killing white people every day on the street.”
“I had to do it because no one else is brave enough to do anything about it,” he added in the interrogation, which took place a short time after the shootings.
Roof also says on the tape that he chose the city of Charleston and the historic black church because he felt those targets would be significant enough to ensure maximum effect for his plans.
The 22-year-old defendant has never shied away from admitting he was the gunman, but prosecutors’ main goal is to highlight the heinous nature of the crimes in order to secure a death sentence for Roof.
“I went to that church in Charleston, and, you know, I did it,” he said at one point.
Roof also faces a state trial for the shootings, scheduled for next year.
