(UPDATE) 9 Killed In South Carolina Church Shooting + Suspect Arrested

Suspect Dylann Storm Roof

Very tragic news. Nine people have been killed, after being shot inside a black church in Charleston, S.C.

According to officials, a 21-year-old unidentified white man, opened fire at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Police Chief Gregory Mullen confirmed eight people died on the scene and one person was pronounced dead at a hospital. Mullen stated:

I do believe this was a hate crime.

According to USA Today, the shooting took place Wednesday at about 9 p.m. ET.

Early Thursday morning, Charleston Police released photos (see above) of the suspect during a news conference stating that the man who opened fire, left the scene in a black four door sedan. He is described as “armed and dangerous.”

According to the NAACP, church members were shot as they attended bible study. Dot Scott, president of the Charleston NAACP, said a female survivor told family members that the gunman initially sat down in the church for a while before opening fire. The gunman reportedly told the woman he was letting her live so she could tell others what happened.

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