BREAKING NEWS: Nine Dead In Charleston, S.C. Church Massacre
CHARLESTON, S.C., June 17 (UPI) — Nine people, including a popular state senator, were shot to death Wednesday night when a lone gunman opened fire in a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina.
S. Carolina State Senator Clementa Pinckney, 41, who also served as pastor for the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, was in the church during an hour-long Bible study when the shooting started.
Police gave only a vague description of the suspect, but an image from surveillance video shows a man wearing a gray sweatshirt over a white T-shirt and black pants. He is about 5-foot-9 and has a slender build.
Law enforcement officials said the man went into the Charleston church about 8 p.m. Wednesday and opened fire, killing six females and three males. The suspect was last seen leaving the church in a black four-door sedan. Police believe he was still in the Charleston area.
“He has on a very distinctive sweatshirt,” police Chief Greg Mullen said. “This is an all-hands-on-deck effort with the community, as well as law enforcement. When people go out they should be vigilant, they should be aware of their surroundings. And if they see anything suspicious, they should call law enforcement.”
Eight died at the church, the oldest AME church in the South. The ninth victim died at the hospital. Pinckney’s desk in the Senate was covered in black cloth early Thursday, as per tradition.
“He was a man with a booming voice and notable presence, but always a peaceful, calming presence,” said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford. “He did not want to pick fights.”
Shortly after the shooting, church members and members of the local community gathered near the church. “The question is, ‘Why God?’,” said a man wearing a shirt bearing the name of the Empowerment Missionary Baptist Church.
The FBI, the Department of Justice, the Sate Law Enforcement Division, the coroner’s office and multiple police agencies have launched a hate crime investigation. Matters were made more complicated Wednesday night when a bomb threat was called in around 10:30 p.m. No explosives were found.
