Police launch manhunt as 9 killed in mass shooting ‘hate crime’ at U.S. church

Police have launched a manhunt after nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. The shooting happened at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in downtown Charleston at around 9pm (local time) on Wednesday night. Police said eight people had died at the scene and a ninth victim died later in hospital A tenth victim is being treated in hospital. Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen confirmed the shooting was being investigated as a hate crime.

This is an unspeakable and heartbreaking tragedy in this most historic church, an evil and hateful person took the lives of citizens who had come to worship and pray together.

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley

Shortly after the shooting, people were told to move back after a bomb threat was made in the area, the Reuters news agency reported. A police spokesman said they were looking for a slim white male suspect, aged around 21 and wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and Timberland boots. A police helicopter was assisting officers on the ground - wearing bulletproof vests and carrying guns - with the search for the shooter. Cameras at the scene filmed police taking a white man in a grey T-shirt into a nearby Marriott hotel - but law enforcement officials said they were still looking for the gunman. Local media said the more than 150-year-old Emmanuel AME church has a predominantly black congregation and is one of the oldest in the country.

While we do not yet know all of the details, we do know that we’ll never understand what motivates anyone to enter one of our places of worship and take the life of another.

Charleston Governor Nikki Haley

Charleston Americas