S.C. Rep. Mark Sanford says Charleston shooter Dylann Roof is not a terrorist

Dylann Roof now faces nine counts of murder in the massacre of nine members of a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Roof reportedly confessed to police investigators and also stated that his goal was to start a race war.

Flags throughout the state of South Carolina are flying at half-mast in the wake of the massacre, with the exception of the Confederate flag on Statehouse grounds, which continues to fly high.

In a conversation with Yahoo News and Finance anchor Bianna Golodryga, Rep. Mark Sanford said he thought it was too early to talk about certain issues. “I think it’s premature to have a big-scale debate on the flag, on what are we going to do next on gun control, what are we going to do next on race relations, when we’ve not yet even buried the nine tragedies of two nights ago,” he said.

Sanford also said that he believes the 21-year-old shooter should receive the death penalty if convicted. “This is just a disturbing level of evil and malice, and I think he needs to be brought to justice. … I think the death penalty will be administered in this case.”

But when pressed, Sanford declined to label Roof as a terrorist. “He’s a bad guy, and he needs to be brought to justice, that’s all I know,” he said.
 
And when asked what the future holds for the surviving men and women of Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Sanford said, “This is a church of remarkable fortitude... there’s a remarkable spirit in that church… time heals, but there needs to be some time.”