A fake story which circulated online in June 2015 claimed that Dylann Roof was free on $1 million bail.
False Story
The fake story comes from the website exclusivelife.mobi, which features outlandish stories and photos that appear to be geared toward social media sharing. In the false story we read that Roof’s “friends and family were able to raise the $1,000,000 bail within a matter of hours” and that his next appearance is not set until October. The headline reads, “S.C. Church Shooter Free on $1 Million Bail!”
The highly-shared story offers no sources for corroboration, and includes information which conflicts with widely-reported news about the Roof case.
While a $1 million bond was set for a weapon’s possession charge, the bond hearing has not yet been held regarding the nine murder charges, and Roof is not expected to be set free.
Related Fake News
This false story appears to be on the heels of another similar fake report about Dylann Roof. That bogus story claims that supporters had raised $4.2 million for Roof’s defense fund. The story, however, originated from the fake news website NewsWatch33, which is known to produce false and outlandish articles with the apparent purpose of being shared on social media.
Bottom Line
Dylann Roof has not been released. A fake story circulating this week claims that he was released on bail, but it is a complete fabrication. Bond has not been set for the nine murder charges, and Roof is not expected to be allowed to leave jail. An earlier report that supporters had raised money for Roof’s defense fund was also a product of a fake news website.