Convicted Charleston church shooter formally sentenced to death

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- (WMBF) -- The man accused of killing nine parishioners at a downtown Charleston church in 2015 was formally sentenced to death Wednesday.

Dylann Roof, 22, received the sentence in a Charleston courtroom Wednesday after impact statements from loved ones of the victims of the June 17, 2015, Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting testified.

As U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel read through the 33 counts Roof was charged with and affirmed the jury's decision, Roof looked straight ahead.

Roof showed no reaction as he has through almost all of the federal hate crimes trial.

He also did not choose to speak Wednesday and kept a blank face as Gergel sentenced him.

Roof then requested new representation, telling the judge that he "doesn't trust" his standby counsel.

Gergel denied the motion stating, "I feel it would be a great loss of resources and talent...I deny your motion."

Before Gergel handed down the formal sentencing the court heard impact statements from more than 30 family members of the victims.