Pictures of the nine people fatally shot at a historic African-American church in South Carolina, USA have been released as the world continues to pay tribute to the dead.
The victims have been named as: Cynthia Hurd, 54, a librarian; Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41, a church pastor and a state senator; Tywanza Sanders, 26, a recent graduate of Allen University; teacher Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lee Lance, 70; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74 and; Myra Thompson, 59.
They were killed at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which has strong historical links to the black community.
Tributes have been laid outside the church as mourners gather to grieve the loss.
Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old from Lexington, has been arrested after an intense manhunt by officers.
He was identified by his own uncle, Carson Cowels, 56, who recognised him on CCTV footage released by police.
Cowels said his nephew had received a gun for his birthday in April. It’s not yet known if the .45 calibre pistol was the gun used in the attack.
A Snapchat video (below) taken from inside the church during the study session, which appeared to show Roof before the massacre has been broadcast.
Tywanza Sander, who was killed in the shootings, sent a Snapchat of his Bible study group with the tag line: ‘Bible study knowledge planter’.
Most of the participants in the video are black but one white man can be seen in the corner. That man – who had been welcomed into the group – is believed to be Dylann Roof.
President Barack Obama on Thursday called the murders senseless.
“Any death of this sort is a tragedy, any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy,” he said.
“There is something particularly heartbreaking about death happening somewhere we seek solace and we seek peace.
“Methodist Emanuel is in fact more than a church; this is a place of worship that was founded by African Americans seeking liberty. This is a sacred place in the history of Charleston and in the history of America.”
He went on: “The fact that this took place in a black church also raises questions about a dark part of our history.”
He also spoke out about how the incident again signals the need for stricter gun control.
