9 Dead In Charleston Church Shooting, Suspect On Loose

Breaking: @CharlestonPD confirm shooting unclear officially how many hurt. Saw 1 transported @ABCNews4 #chsnews #chs pic.twitter.com/Z445Jw6f6T

— Jason Tighe (@jtighe08) June 18, 2015

UPDATE: Thursday June 18, 2015

Police have confirmed that eight people were killed inside Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church Wednesday night after a gunman described as a 21-year-old White male entered the house of worship, sat through part of a prayer meeting and opened fire.

A ninth victim died at a nearby hospital, Charleston’s Police Chief Greg Mullen said during a morning press conference.

While no information has been released about the victims, House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said that South Carolina state senator and the church’s pastor, Clementa Pinckney, is among the dead.

The shooting, described by the Washington Post as one of the worst attacks on a place of worship in the nation in decades, is being investigated as a hate crime.

Police are still searching for the suspect, who is said to have attended the prayer meeting for about an hour before shooting his victims. Three people survived the shooting, including a woman the suspect left alive to tell the story and a 5-year-old who played dead when the shooting began.

.@CharlestonPD Chief Mullen says this man is dangerous. Do not approach him. Contact police. #CharlestonShooting pic.twitter.com/iaQROtgVLx

— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) June 18, 2015

The fatalities include three males and six females.

“This tragedy that we’re addressing right now is undescribable,” Mullen said. “The law enforcement agencies that are working on this are committed and we will capture this individual.”

According to the Post and Courier, a family assistance center was established for families of the victims. No names have been released as of Thursday morning.

———-

Police in Charleston, South Carolina are investigating a shooting at a downtown church, USA Today reports.

It’s unclear if there are any fatalities.

The shooting occurred around 9 p.m. at an address that corresponds with the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the site writes. Police say the suspected gunman is still on the loose, the Charleston Post and Courier reports. The suspect is described as a white male, about 21-years-old.

Suspect in shooting on Calhoun St is a w/m approx 21 slender small build wearing a grey sweat shirt blue jeans timberland boots clean shaven — Charleston P.D. (@CharlestonPD) June 18, 2015

Police have yet to release any information about the victims.