Dylann Roof, who was accused of murdering nine black church members in Charleston, S.C. on June 17, was indicted Wednesday on 33 federal counts, including hate crimes, adding to various state counts that raise the possibility of a death sentence.
"The parishioners had Bibles. Dylann Roof had his .45 caliber Glock pistol and eight magazines loaded with hollow point bullets," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said after a federal grand jury returned the 33-count indictment against Roof, according to Reuters.
Roof planned for several months before the June 17 attack. He singled out the nearly 200-year-old church known as "Mother Emanuel" because of its historical significance in the African-American community, Lynch said during the press conference.
"Mother Emanuel was his destination specifically because it was an historically African-American church of significance to the people of Charleston, of South Carolina and to the nation," Lynch said, CNN reported. "On that summer evening, Dylann Roof found his targets, African-Americans engaged in worship."
Several days after the attack, Roof appeared in photos waving Confederate flags, desecrating U.S. flags and even had a manifesto where he noted his desire to incite a race war.
Hate crime cases are often difficult for the government because it must prove that a defendant's crime was motivated by the victim's race or religion, as opposed to other factors defense attorneys might cite such as mental illness or drug addiction, according to FOX News.
Federal officials previously stated that the shootings did indeed meet the legal requirements for a hate crime and federal charges were likely. However, it remains to be seen if he will be convicted on them. If he's found guilty, Roof faces life imprisonment or, if prosecutors push for it, the death penalty.
It isn't clear when the federal trial will begin, but the state trial is scheduled to start July 11, 2016.
