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Portrait of Dylann Roof

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Born in United States · Nationality American — Crime / mafias / terrorism / criminal cases

Dylann Roof

Terrorism and violent extremismViolent crime and serial killers

Documented profile covering 15 controversies, including “2026: New Supreme Court petition in recusal dispute still pending as of 15 September” and “2025: Attempt to recuse Judge Gergel before post-conviction proceedings rejected by Fourth Circuit”.

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Profile No. 2274 · Updated on 12 October 2026

Portrait of Dylann Roof

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
15Documented controversies
9Sources
· 2 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 10 documented stages

2026: New Supreme Court petition in recusal dispute still pending as of 15 September

Conviction
01

2026

2026: New Supreme Court petition in recusal dispute still pending as of 15 September

Conviction

In April 2026, Roof filed a new petition for certiorari relating to his attempt to have the judge recused from the post-conviction proceedings. As of 15 September 2026, the case had been distributed for the Supreme Court's conference of 28 September 2026.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Protagonist is the complainant

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Supreme Court of the United StatesDylann Storm Roof v. United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, No. 25-7203Court recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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02

2025

2025: Attempt to recuse Judge Gergel before post-conviction proceedings rejected by Fourth Circuit

Conviction

Before filing his petition under 28 U.S.C. §2255, Roof sought the recusal of federal judge Richard Gergel, citing an appearance of bias. The Fourth Circuit rejected the application in August 2025 and a request for reconsideration in November.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Protagonist is the complainant

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitIn re Dylann Storm Roof, No. 25-2 — OrderCourt recordVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Supreme Court of the United StatesDylann Storm Roof v. United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, No. 25-7203Court recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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03

2022-10

October 2022: Supreme Court declines first appeal against conviction and death sentence

Conviction

Following the Fourth Circuit's 2021 decision, the US Supreme Court denied certiorari in Roof's first round of direct appeals.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Protagonist is the complainant

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitIn re Dylann Storm Roof, No. 25-2 — OrderCourt recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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04

2021-08-25

August 2021: Federal appeals court unanimously upholds convictions and death sentences

Conviction

The Fourth Circuit rejected Roof's numerous grounds of appeal, notably concerning competence, self-representation, mitigating evidence and application of the death penalty.

State of the evidence
Documented

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    Death Penalty Information CenterFederal Appeals Court Upholds Convictions and Death Sentences for Dylann RoofHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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06

2017-01

January 2017: Federal death sentence

Conviction

Following the sentencing phase, the federal jury recommended the death penalty on eighteen capital counts and the court formally imposed the sentence.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeFederal Jury Sentences Dylann Storm Roof to DeathProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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08

2016-12-15

15 December 2016: Found guilty on all 33 federal counts

Conviction

The federal jury found Roof guilty on all 33 counts, including hate crimes and obstruction of religious exercise resulting in death.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeFederal Jury Sentences Dylann Storm Roof to DeathProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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12

2015

2015: White supremacist website, manifesto and imagery before attack

Conviction

Before the attack, Roof had circulated text and photographs expressing white supremacist ideology, notably using symbols of white-minority regimes in southern Africa.

Attribution
Personally implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    CBS NewsSouth Carolina shooting: What we know about suspect Dylann Storm Roof, 21PressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of JusticeAttorney General Lynch Statement Following the Federal Grand Jury Indictment Against Dylann Storm RoofProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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13

2015-06-17

17 June 2015: Murder of nine Black worshippers at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church

Conviction

Roof killed nine African-American worshippers during Bible study at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church and attempted to kill others. Federal proceedings established the racial nature of the attack and the interference with religious exercise.

State of the evidence
Established by a court
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeFederal Jury Sentences Dylann Storm Roof to DeathProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    CBS News / Associated PressDylann Roof, Charleston church shooter, gets nine life sentencesNews agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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14

2015-06-18

18 June 2015: Arrest in North Carolina following manhunt

Formally charged

Roof was located and arrested in North Carolina the day after the shooting, ending the nationwide search for the suspect.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    CBS NewsSouth Carolina shooting: What we know about suspect Dylann Storm Roof, 21PressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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15

2015-07

July 2015: Federal indictment for hate crimes, obstruction of religious exercise and firearms offences

Formally charged

A federal grand jury indicted Roof on 33 counts, including hate crimes, obstruction of religious exercise and firearms offences connected with the murders and attempted murders.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeAttorney General Lynch Statement Following the Federal Grand Jury Indictment Against Dylann Storm RoofProsecutor's statementVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

05

2016–2017

2016–2017: Disputes over mental competence, waiver of counsel and self-representation during sentencing phase

Civil / administrative proceedings

The court held hearings on Roof's mental competence. Despite later arguments by his lawyers concerning his delusional beliefs, he was found competent and permitted to represent himself during part of the capital proceedings.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    Death Penalty Information CenterFederal Appeals Court Upholds Convictions and Death Sentences for Dylann RoofHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitIn re Dylann Storm Roof, No. 25-2 — OrderCourt recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

07

2017-04-10

April 2017: State guilty plea and nine consecutive life sentences

Conviction

Roof pleaded guilty to South Carolina state murder charges to avoid a second capital trial. He received nine consecutive life sentences, in addition to the federal death sentence.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    CBS News / Associated PressDylann Roof, Charleston church shooter, gets nine life sentencesNews agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

09

2015-02

February 2015: Arrest at Columbiana Centre for possession of Suboxone without prescription

Formally charged

Roof was stopped at a shopping centre after asking employees unusual questions. Police found Suboxone strips that he said he did not have a prescription for, resulting in a possession charge.

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    CBS NewsSouth Carolina shooting: What we know about suspect Dylann Storm Roof, 21PressHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    CBS NewsAbout Suboxone, the drug Charleston shooting suspect Dylann Roof was arrested with in FebruaryPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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10

2015-04-26

April 2015: Further arrest for violating shopping-centre exclusion order

Investigation

After being banned from Columbiana Centre, Roof returned and was arrested for trespassing. The exclusion order was then extended.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Personally implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    CBS NewsSouth Carolina shooting: What we know about suspect Dylann Storm Roof, 21PressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

Add to this entry

11

2015

2015: Firearm purchase enabled by failed background check involving administrative errors

No legal proceedings

The background check conducted before the firearm purchase failed to identify Roof's drug-related arrest in time, notably because of data-entry and jurisdictional errors. The transaction was therefore able to proceed after the regulatory waiting period expired.

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    The Guardian / APClerical error in Dylann Roof drug arrest facilitated Charleston gun purchaseNews agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (2)
  1. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev1 documented reference
  2. Robert Bowers1 documented reference

III. Has something changed?

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