Hundreds of potential jurors showed up to the federal courthouse in Charleston, S.C., on Monday as jury selection began in the trial of a white man charged in the deaths of nine black churchgoers.
Dylann Storm Roof, 22, is charged with 33 federal counts, including hate crimes and obstruction of religion, in the June 2015 shooting massacre at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Roof is said to have sat in on a prayer meeting for an hour at the church before opening fire on the unsuspecting worshippers.
The Washington Post reports that 3,000 potential jurors received summonses in a pool that was about 73 percent and 32 percent black. That group will be whittled down to 700 potential jurors, who will be individually questioned by the judge in November.
The jurors are being brought in for initial screening in panels of 80; 320 potential jurors reported Monday to fill out questionnaires related to the shooting massacre. The initial screening will continue over the next few days until the pool of 700 is reached.
Roof, who was in court for the proceedings, wore a gray-and-white-striped prison jumpsuit and avoided eye contact with jurors.
Trial testimony is likely to begin in late November or early December, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel told the Post.
Read more at the Washington Post.