9 dead in Charleston, S.C. church shooting, suspect still at large
Charleston police say nine people have been killed in a shooting at a historic black church in what authorities intend to investigate as a hate crime.
Police Chief Greg Mullen says eight people were found dead Wednesday at Emanuel AME Church and another person died later at the hospital.
Mullen says a prayer meeting was going on at the church at the time of the shooting.
The shooter, described as a white male, was not yet in custody.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said “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,” she said in a statement early Thursday morning.
Mayor Riley called the Wednesday night shooting “an unspeakable and heartbreaking tragedy.”
GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush has canceled Thursday events in the area because of the shooting.