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A manhunt is underway in Charleston, S.C., for a man that police suspect opened fire and killed nine people during a prayer meeting at one of city's oldest historically black churches Wednesday evening.
Police classified the attack as a hate crime, and they released stills from a security video of a slim, white man in his 20s with sandy blond hair who entered the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church about an hour before the shooting.
The man, who police consider to be "armed and dangerous," left the church in a black sedan.
"It is senseless, it is unfathomable, that in today's society somebody would walk into a church, into a prayer meeting, and take lives," Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen said at an early morning press conference.
According to Mullen, the suspect sat with the congregation for an hour, before he started shooting. State Sen. Clementa C. Pinckney, who was also the senior pastor at Emanuel AME Church, was one of the people killed during the attack.
The President Pro Tempore of South Carolina Senate, Hugh Leatherman, said Pinckney was "a strong advocate for his constituents, a great pastor and community leader, but most importantly, a cherished and loved husband, father and son."
He continued: "The victims were in a Bible study, learning the Word of God, in one of the most beloved institutions in our State whose roots go back to the dark days of slavery. What happened last night is incomprehensible."
This is a breaking news story. We'll update this post with the latest as we get it, so refresh often.
Update at 9:35 a.m. ET. A 'Beloved Senator':
The President Pro Tempore of South Carolina Senate, Hugh Leatherman, said Sen. Pinckney was a "beloved" public servant.
"Senator Clementa C. Pinckney was a leader in the Senate of South Carolina, a strong advocate for his constituents, a great pastor and community leader, but most importantly, a cherished and loved husband, father and son," Leatherman said in a statement. "The entire Senate of South Carolina extends our love and sympathy to Jennifer, Eliana, Malana, and to the rest of his family."
Update at 9:05 a.m. ET. State Senator Among Those Killed:
State Sen. Clementa C. Pinckney, who was also the senior pastor at Emanuel AME Church, was one of the people killed during the attack, according to multiple news outlets as well as the chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.
"Pinckney, 41, is married and has two children. He was a Democratic member of the S.C. Senate.
"State Rep. Wendell Gilliard said he visited with Pinckney's wife and two daughters after the shooting. He said she is 'surrounded by friends.'
"Gilliard arrived at the scene Wednesday night, hearing chatter that Pinckney was killed by the gunman. 'I did not want that to be true; I prayed it wasn't true.'"
Update at 8:43 a.m. ET. Federal Hate Crime Investigation:
NPR's Carrie Johnson reports that:
"The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina are opening a hate crime investigation into the shooting that took place at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. The investigation is parallel to and cooperative with the state's investigation."
Update at 7:17 a.m. ET. Suspect Sat With Congregation For An Hour:
During a press conference just minutes ago, Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen said that the suspect sat with the congregation in prayer for about an hour before opening fire.
The suspect ultimately killed 9 people — six females and three males. Three others survived.
Mullen said that law enforcement from all along the East Coast are helping in the investigation and the FBI and the ATF have come in from D.C.
"This tragedy that we're addressing right now is indescribable," Mullen said. "No one in this community will ever forget this night ... and because of the pain and the hurt this individual has caused this community ... the law enforcement officials working on this are committed and we will catch this individual."
Mullen called on anyone with information about the suspect to call 1-800-Call-FBI, but said that they should not approach the suspect because he is "very dangerous."
Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley Jr. said that last night that he and the police chief "hugged as many" of the victims' families as they could. He said they saw weeping mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers.
Riley said this attack has ripped a part of the community's fabric forever.
"But we will work to heal them, to love them and support them in that church as long as we live," Riley said.
Update at 6:50 a.m. ET. What Happened?
According to The Post and Courier of Charleston, a gunman entered the church on Wednesday evening, as members of the church gathered for a prayer meeting.
The paper reports:
"A female survivor told family members that the gunman initially sat down in the church for a bit before standing up and opening fire, according to Dot Scott, president of the Charleston NAACP.
"The gunman reportedly told the woman he was letting her live so she could tell everyone else what happened, Scott said."
The Emanuel AME Church website says that church is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in the South. "Emanuel has one of the largest and oldest black congregations south of Baltimore, Maryland," the website says.
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