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Charleston church shooting

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Crtrue (talk | contribs) at 06:26, 18 June 2015 (Updating current events box to be more descriptive of shooting.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Emanuel African Methodist Church shooting
The steeple of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
LocationCharleston, South Carolina
Coordinates32°47′14.64″N 79°55′59.28″W / 32.7874000°N 79.9331333°W / 32.7874000; -79.9331333
DateJune 17, 2015 (2015-06-17)
Approx. 9:00 PM (Eastern Time Zone)
Attack type
Mass murder
Deaths9[1]
InjuredAt least 1

On the evening of June 17, 2015, a shooting took place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people at the church were killed.[2] In the immediate aftermath, police responded and sought a white male suspect.[2] South Carolina State Senator Clementa C. Pinckney, the senior pastor of the church and one of Charleston's most prominent citizens, was among the murdered.[3] The incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime.[4]

Shooting

At around 9:05pm on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015, Charleston Police Department reponded to calls of a shooting at Emanuel A.M.E. church.[3] A man described as white, around 21 years old, wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans, opened fire on the church during a Bible study attended by Senator Pinckney and then fled.[5] A man was detained matching the description outside of a nearby convenience store, but was released later that evening as it was revealed he was simply photographing the area.[3]

Several hours later, a bomb threat was called into the Courtyard Marriot hotel on Calhoun, complicating the investigation and prompting an evacuation of the immediate area.[3]

Background

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in the South, founded in 1816.[2][6] It is the oldest historically Black congregation south of Baltimore and was founded by Denmark Vesey.[3].

Reactions

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush postponed campaign events in Charleston scheduled for June 18. A Bush spokesperson said, "Governor Bush's thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and families affected by this tragedy".[7]

References

  1. ^ Bever, Lindsey; Costa, Robert (17 June 2015). "9 dead in shooting at historic Charleston African American church. Police chief calls it 'hate crime.'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Charleston church shooting: Multiple fatalities in South Carolina, source says". CNN. June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Nine shot, multiple fatalities reported in downtown church shooting". www.postandcourier.com. June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  4. ^ "Police: 9 killed in downtown Charleston church shooting". Live5News. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  5. ^ Shooting erupts at church in Charleston, South Carolina, Yahoo News, June 17, 2015.
  6. ^ Civil Rights Ride 2013 – Clementa C. Pinckney, SC Senate, Pastor Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Mullikin Law Firm. 20 Feb 2015.
  7. ^ O'Keefe, Ed (18 June 2015). "Jeb Bush cancels events in Charleston due to church shooting". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
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