FBI arrests friend of alleged Charleston church shooter


A 21-year-old friend of alleged Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof was arrested Thursday by the FBI, with a source telling The Associated Press that authorities notified him more than a month ago that he was under federal investigation for lying to them and failing to report a crime.
The source did not say what charges Joey Meek faces. Roof stayed with Meek and his family in a trailer in Red Bank, South Carolina, before he allegedly killed nine black parishioners at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church on June 17. Meek told AP that an intoxicated Roof told him before the incident that "blacks were taking over the world" and "someone needed to do something about it for the white race." Meek also said Roof had used birthday money from his parents to purchase a .45-caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun, which Meek took from him; he returned it when Roof sobered up.
Meek said he called authorities after he saw surveillance footage from the church and recognized Roof, but a federal law enforcement official said authorities don't think Meek was being honest during the investigation. Meek, who is on probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to possessing a stolen vehicle, is expected to have a hearing on Friday. Earlier in the week, Meek, his family, and his girlfriend were the subjects of a feature in The Washington Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
ICE agents take down Lady Justice | June 21 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include ICE, Donald Trump as a lion tamer, and ordering from the Bible
-
5 editorial cartoons about ICE raids
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on ICE raids, harvesting Big Macs for Donald Trump, and what to do when Stephen Miller shows up at the front door
-
Grilled radicchio with caper and anchovy sauce recipe
The Week Recommends Smoky twist on classic Italian flavours is perfect to grill, drizzle and devour
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum
speed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Bombing of fertility clinic blamed on 'antinatalist'
speed read A car bombing injured four people and damaged a fertility clinic and nearby buildings in Palm Springs, California
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival