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| Charleston shooting: Dylann Roof 'wanted to target university but couldn't get past security' | Charleston shooting: Dylann Roof 'wanted to target university but couldn't get past security' |
| (7 months later) | |
| The man accused of massacring nine people at a church in Charleston intended to target a local university but could not get past security, friends have claimed. | The man accused of massacring nine people at a church in Charleston intended to target a local university but could not get past security, friends have claimed. |
| Dylann Roof has been charged with murdering six women and three men at a Bible study meeting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church on Wednesday. | Dylann Roof has been charged with murdering six women and three men at a Bible study meeting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church on Wednesday. |
| Investigators have called it a “hate crime” and suggested the 21-year-old chose the predominantly black institution because of his racism. | Investigators have called it a “hate crime” and suggested the 21-year-old chose the predominantly black institution because of his racism. |
| But friends have now said he told them he wanted to “shoot up” the College of Charleston, a liberal arts and sciences university in the South Carolina City. | |
| Christon Scriven told The Associated Press that Roof said “he was going to hurt a bunch of people". | Christon Scriven told The Associated Press that Roof said “he was going to hurt a bunch of people". |
| "I said, 'What did you say? Why do you want to hurt those people in Charleston?'" | "I said, 'What did you say? Why do you want to hurt those people in Charleston?'" |
| "He just said, 'In seven days...I have seven days.’” | "He just said, 'In seven days...I have seven days.’” |
| Mr Scriven, 22, said he dismissed the threat as drunken rambling but that he and another friend, Joey Meek, took Roof’s .45-caliber handgun from his car and hid it in an air-conditioning vent of a mobile home until they all sobered up. | Mr Scriven, 22, said he dismissed the threat as drunken rambling but that he and another friend, Joey Meek, took Roof’s .45-caliber handgun from his car and hid it in an air-conditioning vent of a mobile home until they all sobered up. |
| A week later, Roof allegedly sat in Bible study at Emanuel AME for more than an hour before opening fire on the people who welcomed him, telling them: “You are raping our women and taking over the country…I have to do it.” | A week later, Roof allegedly sat in Bible study at Emanuel AME for more than an hour before opening fire on the people who welcomed him, telling them: “You are raping our women and taking over the country…I have to do it.” |
| “I don't think the church was his primary target because he told us he was going for the school,” Mr Scriven said. | “I don't think the church was his primary target because he told us he was going for the school,” Mr Scriven said. |
| “But I think he couldn't get into the school because of the security ... so I think he just settled for the church.” | “But I think he couldn't get into the school because of the security ... so I think he just settled for the church.” |
| The College of Charleston carries the slogan #CharlestonStrong on its website today, along with a memorial to Cynthia Hurd, who was one of its longest-serving librarians. | The College of Charleston carries the slogan #CharlestonStrong on its website today, along with a memorial to Cynthia Hurd, who was one of its longest-serving librarians. |
| The 54-year-old, described by university President Glenn McConnell as a "beloved and valued" member of the community, was one of the people allegedly gunned down by Roof. | The 54-year-old, described by university President Glenn McConnell as a "beloved and valued" member of the community, was one of the people allegedly gunned down by Roof. |
| He reportedly confessed to the shooting yesterday in custody, telling police that he wanted to start a race war but considered abandoning his plan because his would-be victims were so nice to him. | He reportedly confessed to the shooting yesterday in custody, telling police that he wanted to start a race war but considered abandoning his plan because his would-be victims were so nice to him. |
| Four months before the deadly rampage, court records show Roof was arrested at a Columbia shopping mall on a drug charge after going around dressed all in black, asking suspicious questions about when shops closed and employees left for the night. | Four months before the deadly rampage, court records show Roof was arrested at a Columbia shopping mall on a drug charge after going around dressed all in black, asking suspicious questions about when shops closed and employees left for the night. |
| His Facebook profile picture shows him wearing a jacket adorned with the flags of apartheid-era regimes in South Africa and former Rhodesia but he also had many black people listed as “friends” on the site. | His Facebook profile picture shows him wearing a jacket adorned with the flags of apartheid-era regimes in South Africa and former Rhodesia but he also had many black people listed as “friends” on the site. |
| His neighbour, Mr Meek, lived next door to him at a mobile home park in Lexington and said he had dropped out of high school several years ago. | His neighbour, Mr Meek, lived next door to him at a mobile home park in Lexington and said he had dropped out of high school several years ago. |
| His former friend recounted how a drunken Roof complained “blacks were taking over the world” and that “someone needed to do something about it for the white race.” | |
| Mr Scriven said Roof was unhappy, moving between the homes of his divorced parents, and that his mother tried to take his gun from him but he got it back. | Mr Scriven said Roof was unhappy, moving between the homes of his divorced parents, and that his mother tried to take his gun from him but he got it back. |
| He and Roof's other friends are now struggling with the knowledge that they might have been able to prevent the killings. | He and Roof's other friends are now struggling with the knowledge that they might have been able to prevent the killings. |
| “I think everyone feels guilt,” Mr Scriven said. “There are a lot of things that happen in life that we just don't understand and we'll never understand. | “I think everyone feels guilt,” Mr Scriven said. “There are a lot of things that happen in life that we just don't understand and we'll never understand. |
| “And this situation is something that you're not going to find the answers to from ordinary people…the only person that can tell you is Dylann.” | “And this situation is something that you're not going to find the answers to from ordinary people…the only person that can tell you is Dylann.” |
| Additional reporting by AP | Additional reporting by AP |
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