From all I have heard so far, it appears that it may have been racially motivated, but I suppose that remains to be seen in what information comes out next.
I heard something the other day, though, that put it all more in perspective to me, and that was the statement that "It wasn't a matter of race, it was a matter of the heart!". To me that is true because what is in one's heart is what comes out eventually. How someone's heart gets hardened like this and full of hate enough to hurt others is hard to understand, but it seems to be happening more and more which can be seen if you just watch the news every day. It is sad.
And, not to stir up another can of worms, so to speak, but recently we were talking about the death penalty related to the Boston Bomber trial, etc. in another thread here at the Fringes, and now there is this case also. I was watching the news a day or so after these events happened in Charleston, South Carolina and I happened to see the Govenor of that State, I think it was, on TV speaking about the death penalty, which as I understand it, is legal in South Carolina.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/us/ch ... .html?_r=0I was also very, very impressed with the families of the shooting victims as they faced the shooter in court and told him how much he had taken from them by his actions and mostly that they forgave him and hoped he turned his life around. To me, that may have more of an impact on this young man than anything else could have. If nothing else, he will have much to think on as he sits in jail (probably for the rest of his life).