Prosecutors have announced they will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof - the young man charged with nine counts of murder over an attack on a black church.
The 21-year-old Mr Roof, who is white, has been accused of gunning down his victims, members of a Bible study group at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church, because it was a nationally known historically black church.
"This was the ultimate crime and justice from our state calls for the ultimate punishment," prosecutor Scarlett Wilson said at a news conference, according to Reuters.
Dylann Storm Roof burning an American flag
She acknowledged that many of the victims' relatives had spoken of a willingness to forgive Mr Roof during his first court appearance.
But she said: "Forgiveness does not necessarily mean foregoing consequences, even severe consequences."
Andy Savage, a Charleston attorney for some of the victims families as well as three survivors, said that while his clients are not advocates of the death penalty, "at the same time they recognise that the needs of the state are different".
Days after Mr Roof arrest, a racist manifesto apparently written by him was discovered online, along with images of him posing with the Confederate flag.
The death penalty decision could determine how Mr Roof pleads. He has not entered a plea so far in the state's murder case.
At his July 31 hearing on separate federal hate crime and firearms charges, his attorney said Mr Roof wanted to plead guilty, but the defence team was not ready to let him do so.
Mr Roof is accused of shooting the "Emanuel 9" on June 17 after he had entered the church, joined their group and sat quietly with them before opening fire.
