Dylann Roof
Dylann RoofReuters

A jury on Tuesday sentenced Dylann Roof to death for the murder of nine black people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, The Hill reported.

Roof was found guilty in December of 33 counts of federal hate crimes. He is still facing state charges, and prosecutors in that case have said they will also be seeking the death penalty.

The jury, after hearing days of testimony from victims' families, delivered the verdict on Tuesday afternoon after about three hours of deliberations.

Roof initially confessed to the June 17, 2015 massacre at Emanuel AME Church in a videotaped interview with federal agents, but later pleaded not guilty in court.

He represented himself in the sentencing proceedings, and presented no evidence and called no witnesses. He seemed to resist his lawyers' recommendations to use psychological incapacity as a defense, noted The Hill.

The 22-year-old white male admitted to his crimes in a video recording shortly after he was arrested. In the video, Roof admitted his racist motivations.

“I had to do it because somebody had to,” he said in the confession. "Blacks are raping and killing white people on the streets every day."