National

Friend Says Church Shooting Suspect Ranted About Race

Published

9 years ago

June 19, 2015

Dylann Roof, 21, pictured here, wearing a jacket with the flags of the former white-racist regimes of South Africa and Rhodesia. (Dylann Roof/Facebook)

MITCH WEISS, Associated Press
MEG KINNARD, Associated Press
JACOB JORDAN, Associated Press

LEXINGTON, South Carolina (AP) — In recent weeks, Dylann Storm Roof reconnected with a childhood buddy he hadn’t seen in five years and started railing about the Trayvon Martin case, about black people “taking over the world” and about the need for someone to do something about it for the sake of “the white race,” the friend said.

On Thursday, Roof, 21, was arrested in the shooting deaths of nine people during a prayer meeting at a historic black church in Charleston — an attack decried by stunned community leaders and politicians as a hate crime.

In the hours after the Wednesday night bloodbath, a portrait began to take shape of Roof as someone with racist views and at least two recent run-ins with the law. On his Facebook page, the young white man wore a jacket with the flags of the former white-racist regimes of South Africa and Rhodesia.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Joseph Meek Jr. said he and Roof had been best friends in middle school but lost touch when Roof moved away about five years ago. The two reconnected a few weeks ago after Roof reached out to Meek on Facebook, Meek said.

Roof never talked about race years ago when they were friends, but recently made remarks out of the blue about the killing of unarmed black 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida and the riots in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, Meek said.

“He said blacks were taking over the world. Someone needed to do something about it for the white race,” Meek said, adding that the friends were getting drunk on vodka. “He said he wanted segregation between whites and blacks. I said, ‘That’s not the way it should be.’ But he kept talking about it.”

Meeks said Roof also told him that he had used birthday money from his parents to buy a gun and that he had “a plan.” He didn’t elaborate on what it was, but Meeks said he was worried — and said he knew Roof had the “Glock” — a .45 caliber pistol — in the trunk of his car.

Meek said he took the gun from the trunk of Roof’s car and hid it in his house, just in case.

“I didn’t think he would do anything,” he said.

But the next day, when Roof was sober, he gave it back.

Meek said that when he woke up Wednesday morning, Roof was at his house, sleeping in his car outside. Later that day, Roof dropped Meek off at a lake with his brother Jacob, but Roof hated the outdoors and decided he would rather go see a movie.

Jacob said that when he got in the car, Roof told him he should be careful moving his backpack in the car because of the “magazines.”

Jacob said he thought Roof was referring to periodicals, not the devices that store ammunition.

“Now it all makes sense,” he said.

Joseph Meek said he didn’t see his friend again until a surveillance-camera image of a young man with a soup-bowl haircut was broadcast on television Thursday morning in the wake of the shooting. Meek said he didn’t think twice about calling authorities.

“I didn’t THINK it was him. I KNEW it was him,” he said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group that tracks hate organizations and extremists, said it was not aware of Roof before the rampage. And some other friends interviewed said they did not know him to be racist.

“I never thought he’d do something like this,” said high school friend Antonio Metze, 19, who is black. “He had black friends.”

Roof used to skateboard while growing up in the Lexington area and had long hair back then. He attended high school in Lexington and in nearby Columbia from 2008 to 2010, school officials said. It was not immediately clear whether he graduated.

“He was pretty smart,” Metze said.

Meek’s mother, Kimberly Konzny, said she and her son instantly recognized Roof in the surveillance camera image because Roof had the same stained sweatshirt he wore while playing Xbox video games in their home recently. It was stained because he had worked at a landscaping and pest control business, she said.

“I don’t know what was going through his head,” she said. “He was a really sweet kid. He was quiet. He only had a few friends.”

State court records for Roof as an adult show a misdemeanor drug case from March that was pending against him and a misdemeanor trespassing charge from April. Authorities had no immediate details. As for any earlier offenses, juvenile records are generally sealed in South Carolina.

Court records list no attorney for him.

Meek said Roof’s mother and her boyfriend live in Lexington, and his father lives in Columbia.

Roof displayed a Confederate flag on his license plate, according to Konzny, but that is not unusual in the South.

His Facebook profile picture showed him wearing a jacket with a green-and-white flag patch, the emblem of white-ruled Rhodesia, the African country that became Zimbabwe in 1980. Another patch showed the South African flag from the era of white minority rule that ended in the 1990s.

In Montgomery, Alabama, the president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Richard Cohen, said it is unclear whether Roof had any connection to any of the 16 white supremacist organizations the SPLC has identified as operating in South Carolina.

But Cohen said that based on Roof’s Facebook page, he appeared to be a “disaffected white supremacist.”

In a statement, Cohen said the church attack is a reminder that while the post-Sept. 11 U.S. is focused on jihadi terrorism, the threat of homegrown extremism is “very real.” Since 2000, the SPLC has seen an increase in the number of hate groups in the U.S., Cohen said.

“The increase has been driven by a backlash to the country’s increasing racial diversity, an increase symbolized for many by the presence of an African American in the White House,” he said.

___

Associated Press writer Jay Reeves in Alabama contributed to this story.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Black Americans Are Killed At 12 Times The Rate Of People In Other Developed Countries

Don't Miss

Emanuel AME Shooting May be Most Deadly Hate Crime in South Carolina History, Historian Says

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Black History

Martial Artist Victor Moore: An American Karate and Kickboxing Pioneer

Throughout his career, Moore defeated many national champions, including Joe Lewis, Mike Stone, and Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. Moore placed in every tournament he competed in from 1965 until his retirement in 1975, defeating renowned national champions such as Mike Foster, Chuck Norris, Fred Wren, Glenn Keeney, James Hawkes, and Jim Kelly. Moore emphasizes that winning or losing does not diminish a champion’s credibility — they are all champions in his eyes.

Published

2 days ago

November 3, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of BlackPast.Org

By Tamara Shiloh

Victor Moore, born on Aug. 23, 1943, holds a 10th-degree Black Belt in Karate and is a four-time world karate champion.

As one of the chief instructors under Robert Trias in the Shuri-ryu Karate system, Moore was also among the first ten members of the Trias International Society. Over his 50-year martial arts career, he trained in various styles, including Chito-ryu with William J. Dometrich, Judo, Kempo, and Bondo karate.

Moore began his martial arts journey at the age of 7 in Cincinnati, lifting weights and reading Charles Atlas books to guide his training. By age 9, he had learned the basics of jujitsu and judo, and at 12, he began training in Kempo karate under Ronald Williams, who awarded him his first black belt after five years of instruction.

In 1961, Moore expanded his training by joining a judo school led by Ray Hughes and later trained in Gyu Ryu-karate under Harvey Eubanks. He studied Kempo with Bill Dometrich and continued exploring different karate styles. Instructors at the time, required students to start as white belts in each new style, even if they held black belts elsewhere, which shaped Moore’s adaptability.

Chung Ling, an exchange student from China, introduced Moore and others to Chuan Fa, enhancing Moore’s understanding of martial arts. He also took up judo at a school in Cincinnati, where he earned his brown belt, and trained in karate with Jim Wax, who had studied under the Shimabuku brothers. Moore’s toughness was further honed by his boxing experience at the 9th Street YMCA, where he became a sparring partner for Tiger Joe Harris.

At Central State University, Professor Barry Yasuto trained Moore in Shotokan karate, but Moore was denied entry to the Japanese Karate Association, possibly due to his race. After returning to Cincinnati, Moore opened his first karate school and began competing in national tournaments. He traveled across the U.S., eventually meeting Robert Trias, who became his mentor and helped him rise to the second-degree black belt level. Under Trias, Moore continued training in Kempo and Goju-Ryu styles.

Moore also trained under Dr. Maung Gyi, learning Bondo karate, stick fighting, and kickboxing. In 1973, Moore and Joe Lewis introduced kickboxing to America on the Merv Griffin TV show. Moore competed in the first kickboxing tournament in the U.S., facing Jim Harrison in a historic fight.

Moore continues to teach martial arts, working with instructors and students nationwide. His daughters, Vickie and Vonnie, and his son, Vanceston, also train under his guidance.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Atty Gen Bonta: U.S. Law Mandating Emergency Care to All Patients Faces Threats

The attorney general highlighted that EMTALA is vital for ensuring that no individual is turned away from emergency services based on financial status or insurance coverage. Bonta stated that the law has been a cornerstone of emergency healthcare for decades, providing peace of mind to millions of Americans who might otherwise hesitate to seek urgent medical attention due to cost concerns.

Published

2 days ago

November 3, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized the critical need to protect the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), mandating that hospitals provide emergency care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay.

In a recent statement, Bonta highlighted the potential threats to this essential legislation amid ongoing discussions about healthcare accessibility in the U.S.

“EMTALA ensures that no one is denied access to emergency medical care, including abortion care, and this federal law is more imperative than ever following the overturn of Roe v. Wade,” said Bonta.

This decision to support the federal government’s case comes at a time when many healthcare providers are facing pressure from rising costs and legislative changes that could undermine existing protections. Bonta called on lawmakers to reinforce EMTALA’s provisions and to combat any efforts aimed at weakening the act, asserting that equitable access to emergency care is a fundamental right.

He urged state and federal governments to ensure that all Americans, particularly marginalized communities, have the necessary access to emergency services without fear of financial repercussions. The brief indicates the coalition’s commitment to healthcare equity, emphasizing that maintaining strong protections under EMTALA is crucial for safeguarding public health.

As discussions around healthcare policy continue, Bonta remains steadfast in promoting initiatives that protect emergency care access, asserting that everyone deserves timely and appropriate medical treatment in emergencies. His efforts align with ongoing legal and advocacy battles to preserve the rights established by EMTALA in the face of evolving healthcare challenges.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Why Not Voting Could Deprioritize Black Communities

NNPA NEWSWIRE — President Biden’s Justice40 initiative. This executive order ensures that 40% of federal investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, addressing deep-seated inequities.

Published

4 days ago

November 1, 2024

Oakland Post

By Anthony Kinslow II, PhD

For generations, Black communities have been systematically denied the resources and opportunities provided to other American communities. Justice40 is more than a Biden-Harris initiative — it ensures a financial commitment to restore communities from historical inequities and bring lasting investment where needed most. It doesn’t matter if you don’t love Vice President Kamala Harris, are skeptical about her policies, or dislike her background as a prosecutor. If we want to see the progress and resources for Justice40 communities continue, we need to vote for her. The stakes in this upcoming election go beyond personal feelings and political preferences. A crucial piece of policy that directly impacts Black communities across the country is on the line:

President Biden’s Justice40 initiative. This executive order ensures that 40% of federal investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, addressing deep-seated inequities. Because the initiative was instituted via executive order if we don’t have President Kamala Harris in November, the executive order will likely be struck down. Justice40 touches every federal department—housing, education, transportation, energy, environmental protection, and much more. Using a broad range of metrics to define disadvantaged communities, the program is designed to avoid legal challenges while ensuring that many Black communities benefit from these federal investments.

Despite this historic initiative, much of the progress to implement this initiative could be undone by the results of this election. Justice40 is an executive order, and like all executive orders, it can be canceled with the stroke of a pen by the next president. If a Republican administration takes over, there’s every reason to believe this effort will be scrapped, especially with Trump’s explicit desire to reverse Biden’s policies. This is why we must cast our vote. This isn’t just about a candidate– it’s about securing a future where Black communities are finally prioritized.

In a Harris administration or a continued Biden-Harris presidency, we can expect the Justice40 program to grow and be further institutionalized. This progress has already started slowly but surely in departments such as the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with leaders working on systemic change. I know Many of our people in these positions working to make meaningful, lasting changes. This is in stark contrast to Trump’s presidency. While government work is always slow, the groundwork is being laid. For this progress to take root and continue benefiting our communities, voting to preserve it is essential. This is our vote to keep federal funds flowing to our neighborhoods.

SO, VOTE! Together, we can ensure that the Justice40 program continues to grow and uplift communities that have been left behind for far too long.