Federal Prosecutors Go After Dylann Roof, Too

He's indicted on charges that carry the death penalty
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 22, 2015 2:52 PM CDT
Federal Prosecutors Go After Dylann Roof, Too
Dylann Roof appears at a court hearing in Charleston, S.C., on July 16.   (Randall Hill, Pool Photo via AP)

Prosecutors on both the state and federal level will now have ample opportunity to seek the death penalty against Dylann Roof if they wish. A federal grand jury today indicted the accused Charleston church shooter on 33 counts, including hate crimes, reports the State. Among the charges were 12 counts of killing someone while obstructing religious freedom, a charge the New York Times reports carries the death penalty. This is in addition to the charges on the state level, including nine counts of murder, also eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors haven't said whether they'll seek capital punishment, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch reiterated that today in announcing the federal indictments, reports NBC News. (More Dylann Roof stories.)

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