Suspect arrested in Charleston church murders
Authorities have reportedly captured the white gunman who opened fire Wednesday night at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., killing nine people.
The steeple of Emanuel AME Church rises above the street as a police officer tells a car to move as the area is closed off following Wednesday's shooting, Thursday, in Charleston, S.C.
David Goldman/AP
[Story updated at 11:44 a.m.:聽The suspect in the killings of nine people at a church in Charleston, S.C. has been arrested during a traffic stop in Shelby, N.C., Reuters reported.]
An all-out manhunt was underway Thursday morning for a white gunman, identified by the FBI as 21-year-old Dylann Roof of Lexington, S.C., who shot and killed nine people Wednesday night at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C.
City police chief Greg Mullen said the man walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, attended the service for about an hour, and then opened fire, the New York Times . The Justice Department has , drawing attention once more to rising racial tensions in local communities across the nation.
鈥淭his is a situation that is unacceptable in any society and especially in our society and our city,鈥� Mullen said at news conference Thursday morning. 鈥淲e are leaving no stone unturned.鈥�
The incident comes at a time when America鈥檚 modern, supposedly post-racial society is being in the wake of violent, sometimes deadly encounters between white police officers and members of black communities. Perceptions of racism persist, with fewer than half of all Americans surveyed saying that the US had made substantial progress toward racial equality since the 1963 civil rights , according to a Pew Research Center .
Although the Mr. Roof's motive is unknown, the incident highlights another side of racism.
Defined by the of 1990 as 鈥渃rimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, gender and gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity,鈥� hate crimes have fallen by about a quarter over the last two decades, dropping from to , FBI data shows.
Recent years have also seen a shift away from crimes based on race toward those based on religion and sexual orientation. Yet were still motivated by race 鈥� and anti-black or African-American sentiment still drove majority of those crimes, according to the FBI.
鈥淭he only reason someone would walk into a church and shoot people praying is out of hate,鈥� Charleston Mayor Joe Riley . 鈥淚t is the most dastardly act that one could possibly imagine, and we will bring that person to justice.鈥�
Eight people were killed inside the Charleston church, including Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was also a state senator. A ninth victim died in an ambulance on the way to Medical University of South Carolina. All the victims were black.
On Thursday morning, authorities began circulating a surveillance photo of a clean-shaven man they suspect is the gunman, who in the image is wearing a white T-shirt, gray sweatshirt, and jeans. Officials have described him as a white male between 21 to 25 years old, about 5 foot 9, wearing a 鈥渄istinctive sweater with markings,鈥� . The FBI later identified the shooter as 21-year-old Dylan Roof. Roof has previously been arrested twice, once for a drug charge, and a second time for trespassing, .
Police chief Mullen warned that the man is dangerous and 鈥渟hould not be approached by anyone,鈥� the network reported.
鈥淣o one in this community will ever forget this night,鈥� Mullen said. 鈥淎s a result of this and because of the pain and the hurt this individual has caused this entire community, the law enforcement agents are committed and we will catch this individual.鈥�