Dylann Roof
A white supremacist whose murderous attack on a Charleston church in 2015 ignited a national reckoning with racial symbols and hate.
Born 1994 (age 32)·American mass murderer·Birthday: April 3·Millennials
Biography
Dylann Roof was a 21-year-old from South Carolina when he walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on a June evening in 2015. Sitting through a Bible study with a group of Black parishioners, he then opened fire, killing nine people in an act he explicitly stated was meant to incite a racial war. His capture and the subsequent discovery of a manifesto and website filled with racist rhetoric laid bare a radicalization fueled by online white supremacist propaganda. The massacre's profound shock was compounded by the victims' families offering forgiveness during his bond hearing, a moment of grace that stood in stark contrast to his hate. Roof's trial resulted in a federal death sentence, the first of its kind for a hate crime, and his act became a catalyst for the removal of Confederate flags from public spaces across the South.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Dylann was born in 1994, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dylann Was Born
The biggest hits of 1994
#1 Movie
The Lion King
Best Picture
Forrest Gump
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Dylann's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1994Born
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1999Started school
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2007Became a teenager
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Could drive
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2012Could vote
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Turned 21
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2024Turned 30
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 32 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Did You Know?
Prior to the shooting, he had a single minor criminal offense for trespassing at a shopping mall.
The photos from his manifesto website showed him posing with symbols of white supremacy and segregationist regimes.
He was arrested the day after the shooting at a traffic stop in Shelby, North Carolina.
“I had to do it.”
