Race-hate Dylann Roof, who already faces calls for the death penalty, sat for an hour with members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church before opening fire and killing six women and three men.
He told police:
“I wanted to start a race war, but almost didn’t go through with it because everyone was so nice.”After the confession, Roof’s own uncle has said he would act as executioner.But as a judge asked a relative of each of those killed whether they wanted to address a bond hearing, they offered forgiveness and prayers for his soul.
Looking at the killer, the daughter of grandmother Ethel Lance, 70, said:
Felicia Sanders, the mother of victim Tywanza Sanders, said:“I forgive you. Lord have mercy on your soul.“I will never talk to her ever again, but I forgive you. You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people but I forgive you.”
“We welcomed you in our Bible study with open arms. Every fibre in my body hurts, and I will never be the same. We enjoyed you.“Tywanza Sanders was my son. Tywanza Sanders was my hero. Tywanza was my all. May God have mercy on you.”A representative of Myra Thompson, 59, one of those killed added:
“I forgive you and my family forgives you. Repent and confess and give your life to Christ and change your ways. You’ll be better off than you are now.”Roof remained impassive as each relative spoke. Judge Gosnell explained he could not set bond for the murder charges.
The racist attended the bible study group at 8pm on Wednesday. At 9pm his mood changed as he stood and began ranting.
As Roof pulled a gun, Tywanza Sanders, 26, stood in front of him to save his aunt, Susie Jackson, 87. The hero tried talking him down, but the killer said:
“I have to do this “You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go.”Mr Sanders begged him to point the gun at him, instead of anyone else but was told:
“It don’t matter. I’m going to shoot you all.”He then opened fire killing Mr Sanders, his aunt and seven others.Mr Sanders had posted video of the bible class, minutes before the killings, featuring Roof, who spared one parishioner ordering her to “tell the world” what she had seen.
The mass killer reloaded five times picking off victims including the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a South Carolina state senator. State Governor Nikki Haley is seeking the death penalty over the killings, described by President Obama as “senseless murders”.
Roof’s uncle, Carson Cowles, said he could never forgive his nephew.
He added:
“I’ll be the one to push the button myself. If he’s found guilty. If what I am hearing is true, he needs to pay. Nobody in my family saw anything like this coming.”Roof told police he bought the .45-caliber murder weapon last April at a store in Charleston using birthday money from his dad. His friends said he had been “planning something for six months”. They recalled how he complained black people were “taking over” and said he wanted to do something about it “for the sake of the white race”.
Culled from Uk Mirror
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