Charleston church shooting
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (June 2015) |
| 2015 Charleston, South Carolina shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Coordinates | 32°47′14.64″N 79°55′59.28″W / 32.7874000°N 79.9331333°W |
| Date | June 17, 2015 Approx. 9:00 PM (Eastern Time Zone) |
Attack type | Mass murder |
| Deaths | 9[1] |
| Injured | At 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] 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 actively investigated as a hate crime [4]
Shooting
A man described as white, around 21 years old, wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans, opened fire in the church during a Bible study.[5]
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
- ^ "9 dead in shooting at historic Charleston African American church. 'Extremely dangerous" shooter sought". Washington Post. June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Charleston church shooting: Multiple fatalities in South Carolina, source says". CNN. June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
- ^ a b "Nine shot, multiple fatalities reported in downtown church shooting". www.postandcourier.com. June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
- ^ "Police: 9 killed in downtown Charleston church shooting". Live5News. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- ^ Shooting erupts at church in Charleston, South Carolina, Yahoo News, June 17, 2015.
- ^ Civil Rights Ride 2013 – Clementa C. Pinckney, SC Senate, Pastor Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Mullikin Law Firm. 20 Feb 2015.
- ^ O'Keefe, Ed (18 June 2015). "Jeb Bush cancels events in Charleston due to church shooting". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
External links
- Current events from June 2015
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- Attacks on churches
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- History of Charleston, South Carolina
- Mass murder in 2015
- Murder in South Carolina
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