Marc Lamont Hill Says Charleston Church Shooter Dylann Roof Should Not Get The Death Penalty

Activist & TV Presenter Marc Lamont Hill Says Charleston Church Shooter Dylann Roof Should Not Get The Death Penalty

On Wednesday, a federal appeals court upheld Dylann Roof’s conviction and death sentence for the 2015 racist murders of nine members of a Black South Carolina congregation, saying the legal record cannot even capture the “full horror” of what he did.

A three-judge panel unanimously affirmed a trial judge’s finding that Roof was competent enough to stand trial.

“No cold record or careful parsing of statutes and precedents can capture the full horror of what Roof did,” the judges wrote in an unsigned opinion. “His crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose.” Roof’s defense team is expected to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Many people who came across the latest update felt that the ruling was fair given the horrific crime that occurred. However, activist and TV personality Marc Lamont Hill said that he is against the death penalty and explained why on Black News Tonight.

He shared the video on Instagram along with the caption that read, “On Black News Tonight, I gave the “unpopular opinion” that Dylan Roof should not get the death penalty. Before you get mad… hear me out. Then tell me your thoughts…”

“Dylann Roof murdered African Americans at their church, during their Bible-study and worship. They had welcomed him. He slaughtered them. He did so with the express intent of terrorizing not just his immediate victims at the historically important Mother Emanuel Church, but as many similar people as would hear of the mass murder,” U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals revealed.

“He used the internet to plan his attack and, using his crimes as a catalyst, intended to foment racial division and strife across America. He wanted the widest possible publicity for his atrocities, and, to that end, he purposefully left one person alive in the church “to tell the story.” (J.A. at 5017.)

“When apprehended, he frankly confessed, with barely a hint of remorse, ” U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded. As of right now, no other court date has been set yet.

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