12/5/25
FBI Lesson: The Dylann Roof Case – Part 1
Background Context In February 2015, Dylann Roof attempted to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer. Federal law requires a background check through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which relies on the same FBI fingerprint database that some employers use for background screening. Applicant Information Name: Dylann Roof Purchase Date: April 2015 Information Supplied: Name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number, Current Address FBI Fingerprint Search Conducted The firearms dealer submitted Roof's information to the FBI NICS system, which conducted a search of the FBI's fingerprint database for any disqualifying criminal records. FBI Database Result NO RECORD FOUND The FBI database search returned no disqualifying criminal history. Based on this result, the firearms purchase was approved.
What Happened Next? Two months after this "clean" FBI background check cleared Dylann Roof to purchase a firearm, he used that weapon to murder nine people at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2015. The next slide reveals what direct county criminal searches would have discovered—records that existed in local court systems but had not yet been updated in the FBI database at the time of the firearms purchase.
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FBI Lesson: The Dylann Roof Case – Part 2
What Direct County Searches Revealed While the FBI database returned no records, direct searches of county criminal court records in South Carolina revealed recent criminal activity that should have disqualified Roof from purchasing a firearm.
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County Criminal Record #1 Date: March 16, 2015 Charge: Possession of Controlled Substance (Suboxone) Status: Pending at time of firearms purchase Jurisdiction: Lexington County, South Carolina
Critical Lessons for Employers 1. FBI databases are not real-time. Recent arrests and charges may not appear for weeks or months. 2. Direct county searches capture current information. Local courts maintain the most up-to-date records. 3. Multiple search methods are essential. No single source provides complete coverage. 4. "No record found" doesn't mean "no record exists." It means no record exists in that particular database at that particular moment. If your screening program relies primarily or exclusively on FBI fingerprint searches, you are exposed to significant risk. This tragic case demonstrates that criminal records often exist in local courts before they appear in national databases.
This drug possession charge occurred just one month before the firearms purchase and was still pending, making Roof ineligible to purchase a firearm under federal law.
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County Criminal Record #2 Date: April 27, 2015 Charge: Trespassing Plea: Guilty (Bench Trial) Sentence: 12 Days in Jail Jurisdiction: Columbia County, South Carolina
This conviction occurred around the same time as the firearms purchase, demonstrating ongoing criminal behavior and establishing a pattern that would have raised concerns in an employment context.
Why the FBI Database Missed These Records • Reporting delays: Local courts had not yet transmitted records to state repository • Pending charges: The March drug charge lacked a final disposition in the system • System lags: The FBI database had not been updated with recent state submissions • Verification failures: The three-day NICS deadline passed before records could be located
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