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Dylann Roof has been sentenced to death for the massacre of 9 Black members of a historic South Carolina church. Roof will be the first person to be executed for a federal hate crime conviction.

Reports the Associated Press:

A jury deliberated his sentence for about three hours, capping a trial in which Roof did not fight for his life or show any remorse. At the beginning of the trial, he addressed jurors directly, insisting that he wasn’t mentally ill, but he never asked them for forgiveness or mercy, or explained the crime.

He threw away one last chance to plead for his life on Tuesday, telling jurors: “I still feel like I had to do it.”

Every juror looked directly at Roof as he spoke for about five minutes. A few nodded as he reminded them that they said during jury selection they could fairly weigh the factors of his case. Only one of them, he noted, had to disagree to spare his life.

Roof reportedly showed no emotion when the sentence was read. Roof’s attack was racially motivated, and he gunned down the church members after joining them for Bible study at the historic The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.

Has justice been served? Or is death the easy way considering the heinousness was his crime?

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Photo : GETTY