Charleston shooter Dylann Roof may have had unwitting help, according to the FBI. It seems the shooter's friend Joey Meek may have been able to stop him from following through with the Charleston massacre but didn't. Meek even allegedly denied having anything to do with it.
Dylann Roof could be facing the death penalty if prosecutors get their way, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. The self-confessed white supremacist had followed in the horrifying footsteps of Harris and Klebold, as well as Aurora theater shooter James Holmes, killing churchgoers in the South Carolina shooting spree.
Roof's actions led to the deaths of nine black residents in a Bible study group, an event which eventually resulted in South Carolina ordering the removal of the Confederate flag. This was done because of the reminders of slavery involved with the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War, and because the flag had been adopted by white supremacists such as Charleston shooter Dylann Roof.
CNN reports that Meek had known about what Roof was planning and did nothing to stop him, and in fact, helped him. Joey explained to reporters that he "didn't take him serious" when Roof had told him in a state of intoxication that he was planning "to do something crazy."
Meek had told reporters that he had known Dylann Roof in middle school, and the two had lost touch. It had only been a few months before the infamous shooting when Dylann had come back into Joey's life, and Joey had said his friend's behavior scared him.
One sign that things with Roof were different was when he had asked Meek to videotape him burning an American flag as part of a "race war."
The Charleston shooter's friend hadn't told authorities what Roof was planning to do with the gun he'd used, and that led to his arrest. Meek had previously said that it could have been prevented if Roof had been taken more seriously. Joey Meek has been arrested on charges of lying to the FBI about his involvement with Dylann Roof.
Friend of Dylann Roof faces federal charges http://t.co/ulyIw5ahab
— HuffPost Crime (@HuffPostCrime) September 18, 2015
— HuffPost Crime (@HuffPostCrime) September 18, 2015
The Washington Post states that Meek's family had been letting Roof sleep on the floor in their mobile home just before the Charleston shooting. Meek and his girlfriend, Lindsey Fry, had even allegedly helped Dylann Roof by hiding his gun the night before the massacre. Lindsey told reporters her side of what had happened during a phone interview.
"[Joey Meek didn't] think he did anything wrong. I don't really have anything to say about it. I mean, we knew it was going to happen. but we don't understand why it was happening."
What do you think of Joey Meek's arrest in connection with Dylann Roof's plans?
[Update 12:15 p.m. EST] Yahoo News says Joey Meek has pleaded not guilty of lying to the FBI about his involvement with the Charleston shooter's plans.
[Image via Pool / Getty Images, ABC News]
