Newly Released Video Shows Dylann Roof Calmly Leaving Church After Killing 9
The trial of Dylann Roof – who shot and killed nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina – continued on Thursday with photos and videos of the evidence.
The courtroom was shown surveillance footage from outside the church from June 17, 2015: the day of the attack. Surveillance footage shows various members entering the church for Bible study.
It also shows Roof entering the church. He parks right next to the door and sits in his car for a moment. Then, he comes in with a bag around his waist.
The courtroom was also shown footage of Roof leaving the church, less than an hour after killing nine people.
The victims were Reverend Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Cynthia Hurd, 54; Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Reverend Depayne Middleton Doctor, 49; Reverend Daniel Simmons Sr., 74 and Myra Thompson, 59.
Roof, who used the language of white supremacists, said he carried out the attacks because of "black-on-white crime."
Survivor Felicia Sanders, mother of Tywanza, told her story of the shooting on the first day of the trial on Wednesday.
Roof sat with the Bible study group. When they closed their eyes to pray at the end of the study, he began shooting.
Surveillance footage shows him leaving the church. He looks around quickly, carrying a gun.
He then walks calmly to his car, which is right next to the door. He quickly starts it and leaves.
The court was also shown a number of other photos and videos.
Crime scene investigators testified on Thursday. Their photos were shown in the courtroom.
Some of them were graphic images of the victims, including a 360-degree image of the room after the massacre.
Photos showed a group of bodies near the church tables. Investigators believe the victims tried to use the tables as shields.
We are watching footage of Rev Simmonds being taken out of the church on a gurney. He later died of his wounds. #RoofTrial — Bim Adewunmi (@bimadew) December 8, 2016
Before showing the court the photos, Judge Richard Gergel told friends and families of the victims the images "may be very upsetting," BuzzFeed reports.
He said, "There's no shame in stepping out for this."
Apparently, two women stepped out as the images were shown.
The courtroom was shown screenshots of a Snapchat video taken by Tywanza Sanders.
Sanders took the Snapchat at the beginning of the Bible study. Keon Gordon, a friend, testified on Thursday.
The morning after the shooting, Gordon noticed Sanders' Snapchat. He used another phone to record the video, according to Michael Hayes.
Gordon took 3 screenshots of Sanders' last snap, which shows Roof. “I wanted to get a picture of who I thought was the killer." #RoofTrial — Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) December 8, 2016
He also took three screenshots of the Snapchat video, which briefly shows Roof sitting at the Bible study.
Other photos showed evidence collected by investigators.
Lead investigator at the scene, Brittany Burke, testified on Thursday.
Burke's initial impression on scene: "multiple victims, multiple items of evidence, gunshots throughout the church - walls, ceilings..." — Bim Adewunmi (@bimadew) December 8, 2016
She said her team collected 117 pieces of evidence. According to NPR, she said there was so much to document, the team ran out of evidence markers and had to use flash cards instead.
Photos showed in court included bullet casings around the church and bullet holes in the walls, ceilings and furniture.
There were seven magazines and 74 casings.
A medical examiner found 54 bullets or fragments on the nine victims.
Susie Jackson was shot 11 times: the most of all the victims. She was 87.
Roof reportedly did not look at the presentation of the photos and videos.
The trial continues on Friday with a two-hour videotaped confession from the FBI.
