Dylann Roof was not legally eligible to purchase the .45 caliber revolver he used to walk into a historically black South Carolina church and massacre nine unsuspecting bible school worshippers in a racially charged attack late last month.

According to the Washington Post, FBI Director James B. Comey admitted on Friday Roof was only able to obtain the weapon used in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting because of "shortcomings" in the screening system used to determine eligibility for firearm purchases.

"This case rips all of our hearts out, but the thought that an error on our part is connected to a gun this person used to slaughter these people is very painful to us," added Comey.

Comey told reporters the National Instant Criminal Background Check System run by the bureau and designed to prevent noted criminals like Roof from being able to easily make gun purchases did not indicate during his transaction that he had been arrested as recently as February on felony drug charges.

For some reason, Comey said Roof was not listed in the proper criminal databases and the examiner who evaluated his purchase request never saw his arrest report because the wrong arresting agency had been listed in his file.

"We are all sick this happened," he told the New York Times. "We wish we could turn back time." Still, such loopholes have been exploited to the point of allowing thousands of individuals that should be barred from making gun purchases to make them over the last decade.

Among the victims in the Charleston shooting was pastor and South Carolina State Senator Clementa Pinckney. Mere hours after the tragedy, authorities discovered Roof's racist "manifesto" posted on his website.

In addition to all his writings, the site also featured him waving the Confederate battle flag, burning the American flag and posing beside neo-Nazi symbols.