Charleston church shooting

On the evening of June 17, 2015, a mass shooting took place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first church for black people ever in America. It is in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Nine people at the church were killed and another was injured. Among the dead was minister and state senator, Clementa C. Pinckney.

## Suspect

Police arrested a white youth, later identified as 21-year-old Dylann Roof, in Shelby, North Carolina, the morning after the attack.

Dylann Storm Roof was named by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the suspected killer after his father and uncle got in touch with police. They identified Roof after seeing security photos of him in the news. Roof was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He was living in a mostly African-American neighborhood near Columbia at the time of the shooting. Roof already had a police record of two arrests, both made in the months leading up to the attack.

## Victims

The victims, six women and three men, were all African-American members of the AME Church. Eight died at the scene; the ninth, Daniel Simmons, died at MUSC Medical Center. They were all killed by multiple gunshots fired at close range.Five persons survived the shooting unharmed, including Felicia Sanders, mother of slain victim Tywanza Sanders, and her five-year-old granddaughter, as well as Polly Sheppard, a Bible study member. Pinckney's wife and two daughters were inside the building during the shooting, but were in the pastor's office with the door locked. Those killed were identified as:

- Clementa C. Pinckney (41) – the church's pastor and a South Carolina state senator.
- Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd (54) – a Bible study member and manager for the Charleston County Public Library system; sister of former state senator Malcolm Graham.
- Susie Jackson (87) – the oldest victim who was a Bible study and church choir member.
- Ethel Lee Lance (70) – the church's sexton.
- Depayne Middleton-Doctor (49) – a pastor who was also employed as a school administrator and admissions coordinator at Southern Wesleyan University.
- Tywanza Sanders (26) – the youngest victim who was a graduate of Allen University; grandnephew of victim Susie Jackson.
- Daniel L. Simmons (74) – a pastor who also served at Greater Zion AME Church in Awendaw.
- Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45) – a pastor; also a speech therapist and track coach at Goose Creek High School; mother of MLB prospect Chris Singleton.
- Myra Thompson (59) – a Bible study teacher.

The victims were later collectively referred to as "The Emanuel Nine".

## Infobox (event)

- **child**: yes
- **sentence**: **Federal**
Capital punishment, Death (_de jure_)
**State**
Life imprisonment


## Infobox (civilian attack)

- **title**: Charleston church shooting
- **partof**: mass shootings in the United States, and racism against African Americans
- **image**: Charleston church memorial after attack.jpg
- **alt**: A large crowd of people gathered in front of a white-painted church
- **caption**: People mourning the deaths at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church; image taken June 20 (three days post-shooting)
- **map caption**: Charleston, South Carolina
- **location**: Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
- **target**: African Americans
- **time-begin**: 9:05
- **time-end**: 9:11 p.m.
- **timezone**: Eastern Daylight Time, EDT
- **type**: Mass shooting,  hate crime domestic terrorism,
- **fatalities**: 9
- **injuries**: 1
- **perp**: Dylann Roof, Dylann Storm Roof
- **weapons**: Glock, Glock .45-caliber handgun
- **verdict**: Guilt (law), Guilty on all counts