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US Courts
World News

Jury shown moment church shooting suspect calmly leaves building

by Antony Bushfield

Dylann Roof, 22, is accused of opening fire during a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in June 2015.

He has reversed an earlier decision to lead his own defence and will only represent himself if he is found guilty and faces a death penalty hearing.

In court on Thursday the jury was shown CCTV footage from a camera outside the church moments after a mass shooting inside.

The video shows a man calmly walking out of the door holding a Glock 45 machine gun and getting into a car. The prosecution claim this man is Dylann Roof.

Roof's defence has indicated it will offer no evidence and is unlikely to cross examine witnesses. On Wednesday his lawyer David Bruck said the shooting "clearly did occur".

US Courts

An ammunition cartridge was found next to a Bible

US Courts

A bullet hole was found in the church roof

US Courts

Police found bullets scattered all over the church

The jury was also shown footage of a man the prosecution claims is Dylann Roof arriving 52 minutes earlier.

Later in the day police car dash cam recordings of Roof being arrested the day after the shooting was shown.

In total 19 clips were shown to the court including those of victims arriving at church for the Bible study.

Graphic images from inside the church were also displayed.

US Courts

A Snapchat showing a suspect was sent minutes before the assault

Dylann Roof appearing from custody in 2015

A social media picture taken by victim Tywanza Sanders moments before the assault began was shown. The prosecution claims that Dylann Roof can be seen in the background.

His mother, Felicia Sanders, who survived the assault, told the court that Roof was "evil, evil, evil as can be".

She spoke of the man's threats to kill himself: "I was counting on that. There's no place on Earth for him other than the pit of hell."

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