The man accused of shooting dead nine black Charleston churchgoers was able to purchase the handgun that killed them only because of FBI failures, its director said Friday.
FBI chief James Comey admitted that the 21-year-old alleged white supremacist should never have been able to get his hands on the .45-caliber weapon used on June 17 to devastating effect in Charleston, but was able to do so because of a breakdown in an FBI background check, AFP reported.
“Dylann Roof, the alleged killer of so many innocent people at the Emanuel AME Church, should not have been allowed to purchase the gun he allegedly used that evening.”
Comey said a review was underway to prevent a repeat of the blunders and they were in touch with family members of the victims.
Roof was arrested on a drugs charge on March 1 and his admission of guilt for possession would have been sufficient to block a gun sale during an FBI-administered background check. But a series of missed opportunities and mistakes, including over the geography of where the arrest took place, meant the FBI analyst doing the check did not see the offense.
Consequently there were no red flags raised within three days, so the gun sale could proceed in April.
