In 2015, the world heard the story of Dylann Roof. With disgust, we read of his evil hearted plan to murder innocent worshippers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal. He chose to pray and sit with those in that particular church, one of the most important in African-American history, before he shot 9 people dead. He had intended to start a race war. The recent arrest of James Jackson has opened up old questions again: How many Dylan Roofs reside in America?
District Attorney Vance said that Jackson “…prowled the streets …for three days in search of a black person to assassinate in order to launch a campaign of terrorism…with total presence of mind, he acted on his plan, randomly selecting a beloved New Yorker solely on the basis of his skin color…Jackson wanted to kill black men, planned to kill black men, and then did kill a black man.”
That man was 66-year-old Timothy Caughman. Caughman was a bottle collector from Queens, and loved by the community. He was killed March 20th, with a 18 inch sword. But Jackson has expressed regret at the age of the victim, not at his action.
He claims that he would have rather murdered what he describes as “a young thug” or “a successful older black man with blonds … people you see in Midtown. These younger guys that put white girls on the wrong path.”
Jackson feels that “The white race is being eroded,” and was motivated to kill to convince white women to stay uninvolved with black men.
However, District Attorney Vance had a different message to share. “We must celebrate [diversity], protect it, and refuse to let violence and hate undermine the progress we have made as a city, a state, and a nation.”
Jackson has been indicted on two counts — one of first degree murder as an act of terrorism, one of second degree. He is currently being held at Rikers Island, where he fears the repercussions of the death threats he’s received, and the large black guards and inmate population. “I think I’m going to die here.” he told New York Daily News.
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