Background Check Flaw Let Dylann Roof Get His Gun, FBI Director Says

Ryan J. Reilly and Dana Liebelson
Updated

WASHINGTON -- Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old from South Carolina who is accused of killing nine people at a historic African-American church in Charleston last month, never should have been allowed to purchase a weapon, the head of the FBI said Friday.

A flaw in the background check system operated by the FBI, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, didn't turn up a record of Roof admitting to drug possession, the FBI director told reporters, according to reports.

“We are all sick this happened,” FBI Director James B. Comey said Friday, according to The New York Times. “We wish we could turn back time.”

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Nonetheless, gun advocates told The Huffington Post on Friday that tightening the background check system is not the right response to the Charleston shooting.

Erich Pratt, a spokesman for Gun Owners of America, said, "We've tried background checks; they do not work ... Making it more difficult for people to get firearms is not stopping bad guys from getting guns."

Pratt said if people in the church had been armed, that "absolutely" could have prevented deaths. "We've seen church shootings/massacres that were attempted and nipped in the bud" because of concealed carry, he said.

"Ascribing this incident to some imagined concept such as a 'loophole' is a sleight-of-hand to simply divert attention from what is really important," said Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association.

He added, "People need to assume personal responsibility for their own welfare, including personal safety, rather than expecting society or others to provide that for them."

But according to an investigation by Mother Jones, not one of 62 mass shootings they looked at were stopped by armed civilians.

Comey said on Thursday that he was not yet sure whether Roof's attack met the legal definition of terrorism.

UPDATE: 6:45 p.m. -- The FBI released a statement Friday in which Comey explained in some detail how Roof slipped through the cracks of the background check process.

"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 in the statement.

Because of a paperwork omission, Comey said, the FBI examiner in charge of looking into Roof's background spoke with law enforcement officials in Lexington County and West Columbia, South Carolina -- but she did not speak with police in Columbia, South Carolina, although they were the ones who had actually arrested Roof.

"After that horrific day when Roof allegedly used the gun in Charleston, the matter was obviously researched and the rap sheet confusion -- listing the arresting agency as the Lexington County Sheriff -- and the internal contact sheet omission were discovered," Comey said. "But the bottom line is clear: Dylann Roof should not have been able to legally buy that gun that day."

You can read the full statement here.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

“Our prayers are with the families of the victims and the people of Charleston. We are all heartbroken by this tragedy. “To the families of the victims, please know that you are being prayed for and loved by so many in the community and across the nation. I pray that God will provide you healing in the coming days. “There are bad people in this world who are motivated by hate. Every decent person has been victimized by the hateful, callous disregard for human life shown by the individual who perpetrated these horrible acts. "Our sense of security and well-being has been robbed and shaken.”

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R)

"Michael, Rena, Nalin and I are praying for the victims and families touched by tonight's senseless tragedy at Emanuel AME Church. While we do not yet know all of the details, we do know that we'll never understand what motivates anyone to enter one of our places of worship and take the life of another. Please join us in lifting up the victims and their families with our love and prayers."

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R)

"There can be no trying to understand or explain away this evil behavior," Jindal said in an interview on CNN. "I do hope this community will be able to find some comfort in their faith," he added.
"There can be no trying to understand or explain away this evil behavior," Jindal said in an interview on CNN. "I do hope this community will be able to find some comfort in their faith," he added.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)

"Today, the nation mourns as we learn more about the harrowing shooting at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. As law enforcement continues its work and as the victims' families and community begin to heal, we are heartbroken and painfully reminded that our work is far from done. No one should ever have a reason to be afraid to go to their place of worship. We must recommit to ensuring our communities are safe from senseless and hateful acts of violence."

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

<blockquote>"The Charleston church killings are a tragic reminder of the ugly stain of racism that still taints our nation. This senseless violence fills me with outrage, disgust and a deep, deep sadness. The hateful killing of nine people praying inside a church is a horrific reminder that, while we have made significant progress in advancing civil rights in this country, we are far from eradicating racism. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and their congregation."</blockquote>

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)

<blockquote>“My heart and prayers go out to the entire Charleston community and the families and loved ones of victims in this horrific hate crime, as gun violence again grips our nation. Mass murder and gun violence have killed children and educators in their Sandy Hook school, moviegoers in Colorado, and men and women in their workplaces and neighborhoods across America. Last night gun violence invaded yet another sacred place – a site of ultimate sanctity and safety. We are far beyond saying ‘enough is enough’ and in danger of being numb to the scourge of gun violence plaguing our country. Numbness to gun violence is consummate complicity."</blockquote>

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)

<blockquote>“The brutal killing of nine innocent African-Americans at the historically black Emmanuel AME Church in South Carolina, including pastor and State Senator Clementa Pinckney, is an unspeakable and horrific tragedy by any measure. These individuals simply gathered to worship and study the Bible in a sanctuary and place of refuge as they did every week, but were senselessly killed. My most heartfelt condolences go out to all of the families and friends of the victims as well as the entire community. “It is my hope that all levels of state, local and federal law enforcement work together to capture this brutal killer before any more senseless violence occurs. I commend the Department of Justice for their swift determination to open a federal hate crimes investigation.”</blockquote>

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)

<blockquote>“Like all Americans, Marcelle and I are shaken by the horrific tragedy in Charleston. We all deserve to feel safe regardless of who we are, who we love, or what religion we choose to practice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families and parishioners whose right to feel safe in their community and their place of worship was taken from them yesterday. “I appreciate the swift engagement by the Department of Justice to monitor the situation and to assist in any way possible. Today, we stand with the people of Charleston and with the brave law enforcement officers and agents who are working to bring to justice the person or persons responsible for these heinous acts.”</blockquote>

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

<blockquote>"My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of last night's shooting in Charleston, who were tragically taken from us as they gathered together in prayer inside their place of worship. While details are still emerging, I have faith in law enforcement that the perpetrator of this evil and senseless act will be brought to justice and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."</blockquote>

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D)

<blockquote>"This was an absolutely troubling and heart wrenching moment. The fact is that nine innocent lives are lost. Our hearts go out to the people of Charleston. Our hearts go out to the members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. We in this city feel the pain of people anywhere in this country, anywhere in this globe, because we’re so connected to each and every part of the country and the world. There are so many people here who hail from South Carolina, and it’s a very, very painful moment for all of us. I want everyone to know there’s no place in New York City for this kind of hatred, and that we, through the NYPD, have increase our resources directed at protecting African-American churches in this city as a precaution."</blockquote>

Vice President Joe Biden & Dr. Jill Biden

"Hate has once again been let loose in an American community. And the senseless actions of a coward have once again cut short so many lives with so much promise. Our hearts ache with sorrow with the entire Emanuel AME Church family as they seek solace and comfort in the shadow of a gunman’s act of pure evil and hatred. Our love and prayers are with them. "We last saw Reverend Clementa Pinckney less than a year ago at a prayer breakfast in Columbia. He was a good man, a man of faith, a man of service who carried forward Mother Emaunel’s legacy as a sacred place promoting freedom, equality, and justice for all. We pray for him and his sister as we do for the seven other innocent souls who entered that storied church for their weekly Bible study seeking nothing more than humble guidance for the full lives ahead of them. "We have no doubt the coward who committed this heinous act will be brought to justice. But as a nation we must confront the ravages of gun violence and the stain of hatred that continues to be visited on our streets, in our schools, in our houses of worship, and in our communities. "As Mayor Riley made clear, all of Charleston’s heart bleeds today—but the overwhelming display of unity will bring forth the city’s healing. We will never forget those innocent souls who lost their lives. We will be there with all the strength and support and prayers we can offer to the families who now grieve. And as a nation we will come together."

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)

“I commend law enforcement officials for their work to apprehend the suspect in the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. There are no words to express the anguish and shock felt by people across the nation from this massacre. As the son of two preachers, I know the sanctity and security the church offers for people of faith. It is unimaginable that someone would commit such an act of violence in a place of worship that resulted in the loss of nine lives. “My prayers are with the families and loved ones of those who were killed and for the Charleston community as they begin the healing process.”

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.