On Wednesday, June 17, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church opened its doors for bible study, welcoming a new face into the congregation. That face belonged to 21-year-old Dylann Roof. An hour of worship would pass with Dylann in attendance before the lives of many were permanently changed. Roof, equipped with a pistol, seven magazines of ammo, and a goal to start a "race war," began to open fire on the same individuals that he spent his time worshipping with. Although he has been arrested, there are many questions to left unanswered.

1. The lives Dylann Roof took

While on his rampage, Dylann Roof reloaded multiple times, claiming the lives of nine individuals. From college graduates to pastors, Roof saw nothing but race when he opened fire. These individuals include: Depayne Doctor, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, Reverend Clementa Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, Reverend Dr. Daniel Simmons Sr., Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson. What was supposed to be a time of fellowship and worship turned into a ruthless massacre. Whether you agree with a particular religion or not, it is perplexing to even begin to think about how ingrained Roof's hatred for black people is. What is even more alarming is the fact that Dylann Roof was described, prior to this massacre, by some individuals as "just a normal kid."

2. The ideology he supports

In the photo above, Dylann Roof is depicted wearing a jacket adorned with the flags of South Africa, during the time of apartheid, and Rhodesia. These two patches are poignant because they represent two instances in which white supremacy reigned supreme. As many individuals know, South Africa was segregated by those of Dutch ancestry in an effort to attempt to "cleanse" or "civilize" the true natives. Rhodesia, on the other hand, was placed into a racial caste system in the late 19th century that carried over even after the country's declaration of independence from Britain. Although both instances end in uprisings/protests conquering the segregated areas, it is arguable by a small percentage of individuals that the countries are worse off than they were under white rule. This is the ideology carried over into the mind of Dylann Roof. A witness to Roof's racist massacre claimed that when one of the men pleaded for his life, Roof responded: "'No, you've raped our women, and you are taking over the country...I have to do what I have to do." It was then that he shot the man, but also spared the life of a woman because he wanted her to "be able to tell them what happened."

3. Roof's history with the law

While one run-in with the law is not always a precursor to a lifetime of crime, it is definitely something worth examining, as in this case. In February of this year, Dylann Roof was arrested for "possession of a controlled substance," that was later identified as suboxone — a prescription drug used to treat opiate dependence. A couple months later, Roof would also be charged with trespassing. Friends and classmates of Roof were quick to identify him as a known "pill popper" within their high school, citing Xanax as one of his drugs of choice. As of now, it is hard to tell exactly how involved Roof was with drugs during the time of his massacre, but one can make an educated guess in assuming that someone with this mindset was fueled by more than drugs.

4. Dylann Roof's access to firearms

Despite Dylann's previous arrest and felony conviction, he was able to obtain a .45-caliber Glock from his father as a birthday gift. While it has not been reported whether or not this was the weapon used in the Charleston massacre, it definitely makes one question the environment in which Roof was raised. After two convictions, it would be a better idea — as a parent — to spend that money on counseling or rehab for your child rather than give them a firearm. To make matters worse, Roof was not legally allowed to own a firearm due to his felony history. Although Roof is an adult acting in his own right, there needs to be some level of accountability taken by the parents. To have a 21-year-old man living under your roof without a job, license, or college education is not a feat that you return with a $500 (or more) reward in the form of a firearm.

5. Dylann's future

As reported at Jezebel, many people suspect that Dylann Roof will attempt to make plead "not guilty," due to insanity. However, what is believed to be Roof's manifesto was recently uncovered. It read as followed:

I was not raised in a racist home or environment. Living in the South, almost every White person has a small amount of racial awareness, simply beause of the numbers of negroes in this part of the country. But it is a superficial awareness. Growing up, in school, the White and black kids would make racial jokes toward each other, but all they were were jokes. Me and White friends would sometimes would watch things that would make us think that “blacks were the real racists” and other elementary thoughts like this, but there was no real understanding behind it.
The event that truly awakened me was the Trayvon Martin case. I kept hearing and seeing his name, and eventually I decided to look him up. I read the Wikipedia article and right away I was unable to understand what the big deal was. It was obvious that Zimmerman was in the right. But more importantly this prompted me to type in the words “black on White crime” into Google, and I have never been the same since that day. The first website I came to was the Council of Conservative Citizens. There were pages upon pages of these brutal black on White murders. I was in disbelief. At this moment I realized that something was very wrong. How could the news be blowing up the Trayvon Martin case while hundreds of these black on White murders got ignored?
From this point I researched deeper and found out what was happening in Europe. I saw that the same things were happening in England and France, and in all the other Western European countries. Again I found myself in disbelief. As an American we are taught to accept living in the melting pot, and black and other minorities have just as much right to be here as we do, since we are all immigrants. But Europe is the homeland of White people, and in many ways the situation is even worse there. From here I found out about the Jewish problem and other issues facing our race, and I can say today that I am completely racially aware.

The words within this document convey a strong connection to the act committed by Dylann Roof. Furthermore, they can act as evidence against Roof's plea of insanity. From a personal perspective, I believe that there is something wrong with Roof, but at the same time it is obvious from his belief system that there is nothing wrong with what he has done. One's opinion about another individual's sanity cannot condone that same person's free will to follow any ideology they wish. That being said, to chalk up Dylann's actions as "insane" in order to give him an easier sentencing is not going to cut it with me here. True action and responsibility need to be taken.