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Jurors convict Dylann Roof in church slayings

Posted at 3:33 PM, Dec 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-15 16:05:29-05

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A federal jury has convicted Dylann Roof of all 33 counts in the racially motivated slaughter of nine black church members last year in South Carolina.

The jury took less than two hours to reach its verdict Thursday. Family members of victims held hands and squeezed one another’s arms as the verdicts were read. One woman nodded her head every time the clerk said “guilty.”

Jurors convicted Roof of hate crimes, obstruction of religion and weapons charges.

The panel of nine white people and three black people will reconvene next month to decide whether Roof faces life in prison or the death penalty.