Story highlights Dylann Roof is accused of killing nine people at a church in 2015 
 
 State of South Carolina is also set to try Roof and will also seek death penalty 
 
 (CNN) Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof, who is accused of killing nine people at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, in July 2015. 
 
 Roof, who is white, is charged with 33 federal offenses, including hate crime charges for allegedly targeting his victims on the basis of their race and religion. A judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in July 2015. 
 
 "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Who gets the death penalty? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Who gets the death penalty? 02:07 
 
 Roof, 22, is accused of shooting participants of a Bible study class at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, known as Mother Emanuel, in downtown Charleston on June 17, 2015. 
 
 Among the victims was the church's pastor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who also was a state senator. 
 
 Read More ||||| The Justice Department is seeking the death penalty against Dylann Roof, who allegedly opened fire inside a Charleston, South Carolina, church last year, killing nine people. 
 
 Interested in Charleston Church Shooting? Add Charleston Church Shooting as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Charleston Church Shooting news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest 
 
 "Following the department’s rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty," Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced today. "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision." 
 
 Roof is accused of killing black worshippers at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in June 2015, armed with a .45 caliber handgun and eight magazines loaded with hollow-point bullets. 
 
 He was looking to kill black worshippers, with the goal of "fanning racial flames" around the country and as retribution for perceived slights against white people, Lynch previously said. 
 
 A federal grand jury in South Carolina has indicted Roof, now 22, on 33 counts of federal hate crimes and firearm charges. He is also facing state charges. 
 
 ABC News' Pierre Thomas and Jack Cloherty contributed to this report. 
 
 Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.
– The Justice Department announced Tuesday it will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof, who is accused of killing nine people during a Bible study class inside a historic black church last June in Charleston, South Carolina. "The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision," ABC News quotes a statement from Attorney General Loretta Lynch as saying. According to the Washington Post, prosecutors based their decision to pursue the death penalty on Roof's "lack of remorse," his desire to "magnify the societal impact" of the murders, and "his animosity toward African Americans." Authorities say Roof, 22, wanted to start a race war, CNN reports. He's facing 33 counts of federal hate crimes and gun charges. The victims' families were informed of the Justice Department's decision during a conference call Tuesday. A lawyer representing three of the families says he believes they support that decision. “Regardless of whether or not you’re for the death penalty, the thought process is this: Where else would you have it, if not for here?” he tells the Post. State prosecutors were already pursuing the death penalty, having charged Roof with nine counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder for the deaths at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Roof's trial had been delayed in part due to the Justice Department's debate on whether or not to pursue the death penalty. The state trial is scheduled to begin in January. The federal trial has no start date at the moment.