A white gunman opened fire on the congregation gathered at the Emanuel AME Church, in downtown Charleston, at around 9pm local time on Wednesday evening. Eight people were killed at the scene, while a ninth victim died on the way to the hospital.
The gunman was described as a 21-year-old white man, wearing a sweatshirt, jeans, and boots. He is still on the run after the shooting.
After the incident, a bomb threat was reported in the area, prompting police to evacuate the church’s surroundings, though no device was found during a subsequent search.
Authorities believe the shooting is a racial hate crime.
Reverend James Johnson, a local civil rights activist, said that “We pray for the families, they’ve got a long road ahead of them.”