The gunman accused of killing nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, last year was attacked in jail on Thursday while on his way to the shower, authorities said.
Dylann Roof, 22, reportedly suffered several bruises but was not seriously injured in the incident at the North Charleston jail. Another inmate, Dwayne Marion Stafford, 25, ran toward Roof and punched him several times near the showers, according to officials.
Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon Jr. said in a press conference that Roof and his attorney had decided not to press charges against Stafford.
Cannon added that there was no proof that the reported attack by Stafford, who is black, was racially motivated , “beyond the obvious speculation that we would all have given the nature of the situation,” USA Today reported.
Roof is facing the death penalty in both federal and state court, where prosecutors charged him with dozens of offenses, including murder. The deadly attack occurred during a Bible study session at Charleston’s historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015.
Court records filed by prosecutors in federal court last month said Roof used eight Glock handgun magazines and fired about 80 rounds during the massacre. The records alleged that Roof plotted the attack for months, calling the church from his home and paying a web hosting company, where he posted a manifesto online as early as February 2015.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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