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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2015/jun/18/charleston-church-shooting-reports-fatalities-suspect-large-latest-updates
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| Charleston church shooting: reports of fatalities, suspect at large – latest updates | Charleston church shooting: reports of fatalities, suspect at large – latest updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 1.48pm AEST04:48 | |
| There are reports locally that Clementa Pinckney, the church pastor and Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate, was at the church at the time of the shooting. | |
| We have no further information on his condition, or that of any of the church members who were present when the gunman attacked. | |
| I will bring you that information once it is confirmed. | |
| Black Caucus Spokesman: Sen. Clementa Pinckney was at church and was involved. #sctweets #wis10 #charlestonshooting pic.twitter.com/2SRc9Cecv6 | |
| The Emanuel church website says: | |
| Rev. Pinckney was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1996 at the age of twenty-three. In 2000, he was elected to the State Senate at the age of twenty-seven. | |
| He is one of the youngest persons and the youngest African-American in South Carolina to be elected to the State Legislature. He represents Jasper, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, and Hampton Counties … | |
| He and his wife Jennifer have two children – Eliana and Malana. | |
| 1.39pm AEST04:39 | |
| Reporters on the scene say they are being asked to move away from Calhoun Street, the site of the shooting, with some suggestion of a possible bomb threat. | |
| This, like so many details so far, has not been confirmed and it would not be unusual for police to clear the area after such an incident, and with a suspect on the loose. | |
| Barriers have been erected now to keep people away from the scene of the shooting: | |
| Downtown is eerily empty- majority of folks gathered at Meeting and Calhoun, barricades are up #chsnews pic.twitter.com/VuaCKNGoHo | |
| 1.37pm AEST04:37 | |
| State senator Marlon Kimpson told the local newspaper, the Post and Courier, that he understood “that there are some very serious injuries and possibly deaths”.“I ask the nation to keep Charleston in our prayers,” he said. | |
| 1.35pm AEST04:35 | |
| Calhoun Street near the church in downtown Charleston. #chsnews pic.twitter.com/AoX9YvERHr | |
| 1.33pm AEST04:33 | |
| I understand there will be a police briefing fairly soon, at which we might expect to hear some details of any fatalities or injuries. | |
| So far, despite media reports of multiple deaths inside the church, nothing has been confirmed by authorities. | |
| 1.29pm AEST04:29 | |
| Local reporters said the FBI and the county coroner were on the scene, along with Charleston police: | |
| FBI now on scene #chsnews | |
| Multiple people shot at Emanuel AME Church. Coroner on scene. Shooter description white male 21 years gray sweatshirt clean shaven @WCBD | |
| 1.26pm AEST04:26 | |
| There were earlier reports that a man fitting the description of the suspect had been arrested – this turned out to be a false alarm, says my colleague Erin McCann: | |
| Police briefly detained a man who appeared to match the description of the shooter, a slender white male with a gray sweatshirt, sparking rumours on social media that the manhunt was over. | |
| He was tentatively identified as a local photographer, and the search continued. | |
| @DarciWLTX That's Adam Rich a Charleston photographer | |
| 1.23pm AEST04:23 | |
| The Charleston Post and Courier reports that several streets are closed as police officers conduct their search. | |
| The church where the shooting took place is on Calhoun Street; this and neighbouring roads including Henrietta Street and Marion Square are the focus of the search. (See the map below.) | |
| 1.16pm AEST04:16 | |
| Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was in Charleston earlier on Wednesday, and a number of political journalists following her campaign are now on the scene of the shooting and police search: | |
| Helicopters circling overhead by church, some bystanders in shock were led by police away into hotel across street. pic.twitter.com/AJvHNkzjww | |
| "Right now it's a very bad time," says pastor John Paul Brown of neighboring Mt Zion Church as he leaves scene through police tape | |
| 1.13pm AEST04:13 | 1.13pm AEST04:13 |
| My colleague Erin McCann has some background on the church targeted in tonight’s attack: | My colleague Erin McCann has some background on the church targeted in tonight’s attack: |
| The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest such house of worship in the American south. It is one of the oldest and largest black congregations south of Baltimore, according to its website. | The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest such house of worship in the American south. It is one of the oldest and largest black congregations south of Baltimore, according to its website. |
| Its congregation is led by the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a Democratic representative in the state senate. | |
| The church was burned in the 1820s during an investigation into a slave rebellion, according to a church history. | The church was burned in the 1820s during an investigation into a slave rebellion, according to a church history. |
| Its worship services went underground from 1834, when black worship was outlawed, until 1865, when the American civil war ended. It has stood at its present site since 1872. | Its worship services went underground from 1834, when black worship was outlawed, until 1865, when the American civil war ended. It has stood at its present site since 1872. |
| Updated at 1.49pm AEST | |
| 1.08pm AEST04:08 | 1.08pm AEST04:08 |
| There is very little official information so far, as police concentrate their efforts on tracking down the suspect. | There is very little official information so far, as police concentrate their efforts on tracking down the suspect. |
| It has been reported that a bible study group was meeting in the church at the time of the shooting. | It has been reported that a bible study group was meeting in the church at the time of the shooting. |
| I should stress that at this point we cannot confirm media reports that a number of people have been killed. | I should stress that at this point we cannot confirm media reports that a number of people have been killed. |
| 1.05pm AEST04:05 | 1.05pm AEST04:05 |
| This map shows the location of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston’s historic black church. | This map shows the location of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston’s historic black church. |
| 1.00pm AEST04:00 | 1.00pm AEST04:00 |
| What we know so far | What we know so far |
| Claire Phipps | Claire Phipps |
| A gunman has opened fire at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, and was still at large, a police official has said. | A gunman has opened fire at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, and was still at large, a police official has said. |
| Charleston Police Department spokesman Charles Francis told Reuters the shooting occurred at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church around 9pm local time. | Charleston Police Department spokesman Charles Francis told Reuters the shooting occurred at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church around 9pm local time. |
| He said police were still searching for a suspect. | He said police were still searching for a suspect. |
| The suspect was described as a white male, slender, aged around 21, wearing a grey sweatshirt, jeans and boots. He was clean-shaven. | The suspect was described as a white male, slender, aged around 21, wearing a grey sweatshirt, jeans and boots. He was clean-shaven. |
| Suspect in shooting on Calhoun St is a w/m approx 21 slender small build wearing a grey sweat shirt blue jeans timberland boots clean shaven | Suspect in shooting on Calhoun St is a w/m approx 21 slender small build wearing a grey sweat shirt blue jeans timberland boots clean shaven |
| There have been media reports of possible fatalities in the attack, but this has not been confirmed. | There have been media reports of possible fatalities in the attack, but this has not been confirmed. |
| The website for the church said it has one of the largest and oldest black congregations in the region. | The website for the church said it has one of the largest and oldest black congregations in the region. |
| We will have updates on this live blog as the situation unfolds. | We will have updates on this live blog as the situation unfolds. |