The 21-year-old man accused of killing nine black parishioners at a Charleston, South Carolina, church last month will be charged with a hate crime on the federal level, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. The source, who has seen the indictment, spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly. The indictments include a dozen allegations of obstructing someone’s religious practice, a charge that can potentially carry the death penalty in the federal system.
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Roof faces state charges including nine counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
Dylann Roof, 21, was arrested Thursday morning about 245 miles (395 kilometers) away in Shelby, North Carolina, law enforcement authorities said.
Federal officials have previously said the shootings meet the legal requirements for a hate crime and that federal charges were likely.
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Roof’s criminal trial is scheduled to begin on July 11 next year. The victims included the church’s pastor, the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, 41, who was also a longtime Democratic member of the state Senate.
