In Charleston, South Carolina twelve federal jurors said Tuesday that Dylann Roof, the man who killed nine people in a 2015 massacre at Charleston, South Carolina, church, should be put to death.

Roof is the first federal hate crime defendant to be sentenced to death.

Roof represented himself during the penalty phase.

Surprisingly enough a group of defense attorney’s who worked on his case stated that “we are sorry that, despite our best efforts, the legal proceedings have shed so little light on the reasons for this tragedy” adding that the death penalty decision means the case will not be over for a “very long time”.

Roof, who was facing away from the media, did not appear to show any reaction to the verdict.

“Today we had justice for my sister (Cynthia Hurd),” Melvin Graham told reporters. “This is a very hollow victory, because my sister is still gone. I wish that this verdict could have brought her back. But what it can do is just send a message to those who feel the way he feels that this community will not tolerate it.”

Roof’s family said they will always love him.

“We will struggle as long as we live to understand why he committed this horrible attack, which caused so much pain to so many good people,” they added. “We wish to express the grief we feel for the victims of his crimes, and our sympathy to the many families he has hurt.”

Roof stated during the trail that “I didn’t have to do anything. But what I meant when I said that was, I felt like I had to do it, and I still do feel like I had to do it”.