9 Dead at Church Shooting in Charleston, South Carolina at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Update: Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney Dead) (Update: Police Release Pic of Suspect)(Update: Suspect ID’d as Dylann Storm Roof)

CHARLESTON CHURCH MASSACRE …

There has been a shooting at the historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Last night at approximately 8 PM ET. According to accounts, the suspect is a white male in his 20′s, with a slender build, wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and Timberland-like looking boots. Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley has confirmed that nine died in the church. One of the shooting victims included the church’s pastor, 41 year old Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, a Democratic member of the state Senate.

According to reports, the shooting suspect sat in the church with the Congregation for about an hour before he began shooting. The authorities are treating this case as a hate crime.

Several people were killed in a shooting at an historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, a source close to the investigation told CNN.

The shooter is still at large.

The shooting took place Wednesday evening at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest AME church in the South.

Police haven’t said how many people have been shot. But the source who spoke to CNN said several bodies were in the church that were yet to be identified.

“It’s really bad. It’s a very bad scene,” local pastor Thomas Dixon said.

“Apparently the person just entered the church and opened fire. That part has not been fully articulated on what happened yet … they are still looking for the suspect.”

Police said the suspect in the shooting is a clean-shaven white man in his 20s, with a slender build. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and boots.

Soon afterward, news cameras showed officers taking a man matching that description into custody, but police said they were still looking for the shooter.

Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, Rest in Peace

UPDATE I: 9 Dead … 3 Males and 6 Females.

Police Press Conference

UPDATE II: At a 6 a.m. ET press conference, investigators released an image of the suspect and said he had left the church in a black four-door sedan.

UPDATE III:  City of Charleston Police Department Facebook.

On June 17, 2015 at approximately 8:00PM, the pictured white male suspect entered the Emanuel AME church located at 110 Calhoun Street and began shooting church members. The suspect was seen leaving the church in the below pictured black four door sedan.

Suspect is described as a younger white male. He stands approximately 5’09” in height and has a slender build

Law Enforcement needs help to identify this individual as part of the ongoing homicide investigation. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity or whereabouts is asked to call 1-800-CALL- FBI (1-800-225-5324).

Suspects Vehicle

UPDATE IV: Manhunt on for  Charleston, South Carolina Church Shooter.

Police in Charleston, South Carolina, were searching for a white gunman on Thursday who killed nine people in a historic African-American church, in an attack that police and the city’s mayor described as a hate crime.

The shooter, a 21-year-old white man with sandy blond hair, sat with churchgoers inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church for about an hour on Wednesday before opening fire, Police Chief Gregory Mullen said.

UPDATE V: Charleston church shooting suspect, 21-year-old Dylann Roof in custody.

Roof, 21, of Lexington, South Carolina, was arrested Thursday morning about 245 miles (395 kilometers) away in Shelby, North Carolina. He waived extradition and arrived back in South Carolina late Thursday.

He was taken into custody without incident shortly before 11 a.m., Shelby police said in a statement. Authorities got a call about a possible sighting of the suspect. A local newspaper filled in some of the details.