What happened: A white man opened fire during a prayer meeting Wednesday night inside Emanuel AME Church, a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Nine people were killed, including three men and six women. Among those killed was the church pastor, Clementa Carlos Pinckney.
The pastor: Pinckney 41, was a married father of two who was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives at age 23, making him the youngest member of the House at the time.
The suspect: The alleged shooter, who has not been identified, came into the church during a bible study and was inside for an hour before the 9 p.m. shootings. He remained on the loose Thursday morning. Described as a white man in his early 20s, the man is about 5-feet-9 with a slim build, according to witnesses. He was seen leaving the church in a black, four-door sedan. Police asked anyone with information about the suspect to call 843-743-7200 or 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The investigation: Charleston police Chief Greg Mullen called the shootings a hate crime at a news conference early Thursday, and the FBI is assisting with the search to find the suspect.
“We want to identify this individual and arrest him before he hurts anyone else,” the chief said.
The church: Several historic figures have spoken at the church, including Booker T. Washington in 1909 and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1962. Coretta Scott King led a march there in 1969, according to reports.
What they're saying: "The only reason someone would walk into a church and shoot people that were praying is hate," said Mayor Joe Riley.
“There is no greater coward than a criminal who enters a house of God and slaughters innocent people engaged in the study of scripture,” said NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks.
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