Off the wire
• 1st LD Writethru: U.S. dollar rises on upbeat data  • Urgent: U.S. stocks extend losses on downbeat earnings reports  • Real estate business blooming in Chicago  • Nigeria to host regional center for disease control  • Roundup: Countries strengthen support to green economy  • 1,400-year-old Koran manuscript found in Birmingham  • 1st LD Writethru: Oil prices fall amid rising inventory  • Spanish stock rises 0.22 pct, closes at 11,484 points  • (recast) World Bank raises forecast for 2015 global crude prices  • 1st LD Writethru: Gold at 5-year-low on stronger dollar  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD: U.S. Justice Department charges Charleston African-American church shooter with federal hate crimes

Xinhua, July 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

The white gunman who allegedly killed nine Charleston African-American churchgoers last month in South Carolina was indicted on 33 counts of federal charges, including hate crimes, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the 33-count federal indictment against Dylann Roof, 21, which included hate crimes, firearms violation and obstructing the practice of religion.

If he is found guilty, Roof would face life imprisonment or the death penalty. However, Lynch said prosecutors had not made decision yet on whether they would seek the death penalty.

Roof had already been charged by state attorneys on nine counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder.

The racially motivated murder recently fueled debates of racism in the United States as the country was still recovering from widespread protests and rioting in the wake of a series of high- profile police shooting of unarmed African-American men. Endite