Dylann Roof
Dylann RoofReuters

A South Carolina jury convicted shooter Dylann Roof, who murdered 9 members of an African American church during a Bible study class last year in Charleston, South Carolina.

On Thursday, the jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Roof guilty on all 33 charges leveled against him.

Deliberations by the same jury are to proceed after the new year on whether to give Roof the death sentence.

Following the verdict, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley tweeted: “"It is my hope that the survivors, the families & the people of South Carolina can find some peace in the fact that justice has been served."

After the incident last year, Roof had told police that he had opened fire with his .45-caliber pistol in order to start a "race war," according to CNN.

Witnesses at the scene of the murders revealed that Roof took part in the weekly Bible study class at the church before suddenly standing up and saying he was there "to shoot black people" and lethally opening fire.