Suspect Of Charleston Church Shooting Arrested In North Carolina
Suspect of Charleston Church Shooting, Dylann Storm Roof, 21, was arrested on Thursday morning about 245 miles away in Shelby, North Carolina. The suspect killed nine people on Wednesday night at a historic African American church in Charleston, North Carolina.
The nine victims were identified by Charleston Country Coroner Rae Wooten. The victims are identified as the following: Cynthia Hurd, 54; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; Rev. Sharonda Singleton, 45; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Hon. Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; and Myra Thompson, 59.
Wooten told reporters that the victims suffered gunshot wounds, which resulted to their death. Roof was seen armed with a gun when he was arrested at 10:43 a.m. on Thursday. It is unclear if the gun he was holding was the same firearm used during the shootout.
Before 11:00 a.m., the 21-year-old gunman was taken into custody. A senior law enforcement told CNN that a .45 calibre gun was a gift from the suspect’s father for his 21st birthday in April.
According to Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of Pinckney, one of the victims, when a man tried to stop the gunman, Roof replied, "You rape our women, and you're taking over our country. And you have to go."
Before Roof killed six women and three men on Wednesday, a citizen spotted him in a car in Shelby, North Carolina. After 8:00 p.m., he walked into Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, then at 9:00 p.m., police received a call about the church shooting.
Charleston Chief Police Greg Mullen declined to discuss the motive of the suspect. Meanwhile, Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. called the tragic as "pure, pure concentrated evil."
U.S. President Barack Obama personally knew the slain pastor, Pinckney. According to AP, Obama released a statement, which reads, "At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries." The president also added that lawmakers should address the easy availability of guns.
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