Calling Dylann Roof a terrorist or a racist or as mentally ill is all wrong, says someone who was once just like him.

22 Jun 2015 16:23 GMT | Human Rights, US & Canada

Is 21-year-old Dylann Roof the new face of white supremacy in America?

A murder suspect held responsible for the killing of nine African Americans in a Charleston church, his hate-filled manifesto and photos paint a picture of a man bent on murder and retribution.

Former white supremacist Arno Michaelis told Al Jazeera he was once just like him.

“I was very angry,” he says.

“I had myself convinced that there was a conspiracy against the white race perpetrated by Jewish people that had been going on for thousands of years.”

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Michaelis says that when people try to describe Roof as a terrorist or a racist or as mentally ill, they are getting it all wrong.

He says it’s all three.         source