The Justice Department is seeking the death penalty against Dylann Roof, who allegedly opened fire inside a Charleston, South Carolina, church last year, killing nine people. 
 
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 "Following the department’s rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty," Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced today. "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision." 
 
 Roof is accused of killing black worshippers at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in June 2015, armed with a .45 caliber handgun and eight magazines loaded with hollow-point bullets. 
 
 He was looking to kill black worshippers, with the goal of "fanning racial flames" around the country and as retribution for perceived slights against white people, Lynch previously said. 
 
 A federal grand jury in South Carolina has indicted Roof, now 22, on 33 counts of federal hate crimes and firearm charges. He is also facing state charges. 
 
 ABC News' Pierre Thomas and Jack Cloherty contributed to this report. 
 
 Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here. ||||| Dylann Roof, the 22-year-old convicted of killing nine black parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, told a judge today he has "no plans whatsoever to call witnesses" during the sentencing phase of his federal trial, in which he could face the death penalty. 
 
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 Roof, who appeared in a striped prison uniform, with his hands and feet shackled, confirmed today he still intends to represent himself, although U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel has said he does not support Roof's decision. 
 
 Roof told Gergel he will make an opening statement. 
 
 The government plans to call more than 30 witnesses — mostly survivors and victims' family members — to testify in the sentencing phase. Survivors Polly Sheppard and Felicia Sanders, who testified during the guilt phase, are expected to testify again. 
 
 Opening statements are set to begin Jan. 3. 
 
 The same jury that found him guilty will return to decide if he'll be sentenced to death. 
 
 Roof, who is white, was convicted earlier this month of shooting and killing the parishioners at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015. The 33 federal counts against Roof included hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of exercise of religion resulting in death. 
 
 Roof entered the church armed and "with the intent of killing African-Americans engaged in the exercise of their religious beliefs," according to the federal indictment against him. The parishioners welcomed Roof into their Bible study group, according to the indictment, after which Roof drew his pistol and opened fire. 
 
 In the defense's opening statements during the guilt phase of the trial, attorney David Bruck told the court, "He did it ... You're probably wondering, so what we are doing here? Why does there need to be a trial? ... The practical reason is that the government has asked for the death penalty after conviction, and because of that, we have a procedure to go through. 
 
 "Our society does not order the death penalty if there are reasons to choose life," Bruck added. "You're going to want to understand who this person was and why on earth he would want to cause so much grief." 
 
 Roof also faces a state trial, set for early next year, in which he may also face the death penalty.
– The Justice Department announced Tuesday it will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof, who is accused of killing nine people during a Bible study class inside a historic black church last June in Charleston, South Carolina. "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision," ABC News quotes a statement from Attorney General Loretta Lynch as saying. According to the Washington Post, prosecutors based their decision to pursue the death penalty on Roof's "lack of remorse," his desire to "magnify the societal impact" of the murders, and "his animosity toward African Americans." Authorities say Roof, 22, wanted to start a race war, CNN reports. He's facing 33 counts of federal hate crimes and gun charges. The victims' families were informed of the Justice Department's decision during a conference call Tuesday. A lawyer representing three of the families says he believes they support that decision. “Regardless of whether or not you’re for the death penalty, the thought process is this: Where else would you have it, if not for here?” he tells the Post. State prosecutors were already pursuing the death penalty, having charged Roof with nine counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder for the deaths at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Roof's trial had been delayed in part due to the Justice Department's debate on whether or not to pursue the death penalty. The state trial is scheduled to begin in January. The federal trial has no start date at the moment.