A federal grand jury in South Carolina indicted Dylann Roof today on 33 counts, including hate crime charges.
In a statement at the Department of Justice, Attorney General Loretta Lynch noted that Roof targeted not only black people, but black people inside a church.
"To carry out these twin goals of fanning racial flames and exacting revenge, Roof further decided to seek out and murder African-Americans because of their race," said Lynch.
"An essential element of his plan, however, was to find his victims inside of a church, specifically an African-American church, to ensure the greatest notoriety and attention to his actions."
"Racially motivated violence such as this is the original domestic terrorism," said Lynch.
Roof has already confessed to the shooting and killing of nine people at the historically black Emanuel A.M.E. church in Charleston, S.C.
"For these crimes, Roof faces federal penalties up to life imprisonment or the death penalty," said Lynch. "
"No decision has been made on whether to seek the death penalty in this case."
Roof's trial is scheduled to begin July 11, 2016.
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