Dylann Roof is seen wearing a T-shirt with the number 88, which can be used as a reference to "Heil Hitler," Nazi Germany's salute to Adolf Hitler.
Is accused church massacre killer Dylann Roof obsessed by the number “88”?
The number can be used as a reference to “Heil Hitler,” Nazi Germany's salute to Adolf Hitler. In one photo posted on his hate-filled manifesto, he posed on a beach with the number drawn in the sand in a photo.
INSIDE EDITION’s Steven Fabian asked Vanderbilt University anthropology Professor Sophie Bjork-James, "What does the ‘88’ mean?"
READ: Dylann Roof's Stepmom: He Fell Prey to 'Internet Evil'
She called it a common symbol in “neo-Nazi and white, nationalist movements.”
In the world of white supremacists, the number “eight” has come to represent the eighth letter of the alphabet, “H.” So “88” means “HH” -- and it refers to “Heil Hitler,” Nazi Germany's salute to Adolf Hitler.
The number “88” was also emblazoned across a t-shirt worn by Dylann Roof.
In the beach photo, the number “14” can also be seen drawn in the sand -- partially washed away by the tide. “Fourteen” is another reverent number to white supremacists. It's a reference to "the 14 words" -- a hateful quote from the founder of the American Nazi party.
Police just released Dash-cam video of Roof’s arrest. The license plate on his getaway car featured the Confederate flag, now at the center of a fierce national debate.
The world's largest retailer, Walmart, just announced that it would no longer sell merchandise featuring the Confederate flag. "We never want to offend anyone with the products we offer," said a spokesperson.
READ: Dylann Roof Was Left Out of Sister's Weekend Wedding
Sears and eBay have made the same decision.
It comes following South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's call for the flag to be removed from the state capitol. “It’s time to move the flag from the capitol grounds,” she said.
CNN anchor Don Lemon, covering President Obama’s use of the n-word in a podcast, stirred an uproar after he held up a poster showing the word.
"Does this offend you?" asked Lemon. Journalists both slammed him and came to his defense. A Washington Post blogger said, "What Lemon did is good TV and good journalism. Tiptoeing around the language of racist hatred helps no one."
Watch Below: Friends: Dylann Roof Acted Normal Wanted to See 'Jurassic World' Before Shooting
