Federal authorities on Thursday arrested a childhood friend of Dylann Roof, the man accused of killing nine people at a historic black church in Charleston back in June.

Roof is facing 33 federal charges for allegedly committing a mass shooting during a Bible study service being held at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17. Witnesses say that the 21-year-old white man opened fire while the church members were praying, killing nine people, including the church's pastor, state Sen. Clementa Pinckney. Three people survived.

Following the massacre, Roof's friend, Joey Meek, 21, told reporters the gunman had gotten drunk and complained that "Blacks were taking over the world" prior to the shooting, reports WRAL. Meek also said Roof stated that "Someone needed to do something about it for the white race."

When speaking to CNN over the summer, Meek said Roof normally kept to himself, but on that night he boasted about an unspecified six-month plan "to do something crazy." Roof added that he wanted to return to a system of segregation and his intention "to start a race warm" said Meek.

"He wanted it to be white with white, and black with black. He had it in his mind, and he didn't really let nobody know (what he was going to do)."

In spite of Roof's disturbing remarks, Meek said, "I didn't take him serious. Dylann wasn't a serious person; no one took him serious. But if someone had taken him serious, this all would all have been avoided."

Federal agents launched an investigation into Meek for lying to them and failing to report a crime. Meek also allegedly allowed Roof to sleep at his home in the weeks leading up to the incident.

According to an anonymous law enforcement official, Meek was then charged on Thursday and charged with felony counts of lying to federal officials and misprision, or having knowledge of a felony and not reporting it, reports ABC News.