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| Charleston shooting: Emanuel AME church to reopen for first service | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The South Carolina church where nine people died in a gun attack by an alleged white supremacist less than a week ago is due to reopen to worshippers on Sunday. | The South Carolina church where nine people died in a gun attack by an alleged white supremacist less than a week ago is due to reopen to worshippers on Sunday. |
| Related: What happened at the Charleston, South Carolina, church shooting? | Related: What happened at the Charleston, South Carolina, church shooting? |
| Worshippers will attend the first service at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church since Dylann Roof, 21, is alleged to have pulled a gun on members of a bible study group. The church pastor, the Rev Clementa Pinckney, was among those who were killed. | Worshippers will attend the first service at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church since Dylann Roof, 21, is alleged to have pulled a gun on members of a bible study group. The church pastor, the Rev Clementa Pinckney, was among those who were killed. |
| On Saturday, authorities said they were investigating a website that contained a racist manifesto apparently written by Roof. The provenance of the website, which contained a cache of photographs of the 21-year-old in which hewas seen holding a pistol or standing beside the Confederate flag, was unclear. | On Saturday, authorities said they were investigating a website that contained a racist manifesto apparently written by Roof. The provenance of the website, which contained a cache of photographs of the 21-year-old in which hewas seen holding a pistol or standing beside the Confederate flag, was unclear. |
| As news of the website emerged, hundreds of people rallied at South Carolina’s state house on Saturday night to demand that lawmakers remove the Confederate flag from its grounds. | As news of the website emerged, hundreds of people rallied at South Carolina’s state house on Saturday night to demand that lawmakers remove the Confederate flag from its grounds. |
| In the wake of the shooting, prominent Republicans and Democrats have called for the flag – to many, a potent symbol of America’s racist past – to be taken down. Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney added his voice to the calls on Saturday. President Barack Obama said on Friday that the flag deserved to be in a museum, not flying in the state capital. | In the wake of the shooting, prominent Republicans and Democrats have called for the flag – to many, a potent symbol of America’s racist past – to be taken down. Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney added his voice to the calls on Saturday. President Barack Obama said on Friday that the flag deserved to be in a museum, not flying in the state capital. |
| Related: The Charleston shooting victims: a poet, a politician, a librarian, women of faith | Related: The Charleston shooting victims: a poet, a politician, a librarian, women of faith |
| On Sunday, events to show solidarity with the victims were planned throughout the city and beyond, including the synchronised ringing of church bells at 10am ET (1400 GMT). South Carolina’s governor, Nikki Haley, and her family were to attend the service at Emanuel. | On Sunday, events to show solidarity with the victims were planned throughout the city and beyond, including the synchronised ringing of church bells at 10am ET (1400 GMT). South Carolina’s governor, Nikki Haley, and her family were to attend the service at Emanuel. |
| Despite the grim circumstances the congregation ha d faced, the welcoming spirit Roof exploited before the shooting was still alive, church members said. | Despite the grim circumstances the congregation ha d faced, the welcoming spirit Roof exploited before the shooting was still alive, church members said. |
| Harold Washington, 75, expected the sanctuary to host even more newcomers after one shattered the group’s sense of peace and security. | Harold Washington, 75, expected the sanctuary to host even more newcomers after one shattered the group’s sense of peace and security. |
| “We’re gonna have people come by that we’ve never seen before and will probably never see again, and that’s OK,” he said on Saturday. “It’s a church of the Lord, you don’t turn nobody down.” | “We’re gonna have people come by that we’ve never seen before and will probably never see again, and that’s OK,” he said on Saturday. “It’s a church of the Lord, you don’t turn nobody down.” |
| The investigation into the shooting was continuing. In a statement, the FBI said it was investigating the website apparently written by Roof. “Charleston police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are aware of postings on a website allegedly attributed to Dylann Roof, the suspect in the 17 June 2015 shootings at Emanuel AME Church … We are taking steps to verify the authenticity of these postings. | The investigation into the shooting was continuing. In a statement, the FBI said it was investigating the website apparently written by Roof. “Charleston police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are aware of postings on a website allegedly attributed to Dylann Roof, the suspect in the 17 June 2015 shootings at Emanuel AME Church … We are taking steps to verify the authenticity of these postings. |
| “Because this is an ongoing investigation, neither the Charleston police nor the Federal Bureau of Investigation are able to release further details at this time.” | “Because this is an ongoing investigation, neither the Charleston police nor the Federal Bureau of Investigation are able to release further details at this time.” |
| The site began circulating on the internet on Saturday. It contains a 2,444-word statement that, if penned by Roof, would shed light on the racist ideology that led him to the Emanuel AME church in Charleston on Wednesday. | The site began circulating on the internet on Saturday. It contains a 2,444-word statement that, if penned by Roof, would shed light on the racist ideology that led him to the Emanuel AME church in Charleston on Wednesday. |
| The accompanying photographs reveal that Roof toured historical sites across South Carolina that have links to the civil war era and slavery, including graveyards and plantation sites. | The accompanying photographs reveal that Roof toured historical sites across South Carolina that have links to the civil war era and slavery, including graveyards and plantation sites. |
| Related: Charleston shooting suspect Dylann Roof 'wanted to ignite civil war' | Related: Charleston shooting suspect Dylann Roof 'wanted to ignite civil war' |
| However, data encoded into the images, which may have provided clues as to when they were taken, appears to be unreliable. | However, data encoded into the images, which may have provided clues as to when they were taken, appears to be unreliable. |
| The website was created in February by a registrant who listed his or her name as Dylann Roof. Under a section entitled “An Explanation”, the website appears to allude to the forthcoming massacre. | The website was created in February by a registrant who listed his or her name as Dylann Roof. Under a section entitled “An Explanation”, the website appears to allude to the forthcoming massacre. |
| “I have no choice,” it states. “I am not in the position to, alone, go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to whites in the country.” | “I have no choice,” it states. “I am not in the position to, alone, go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to whites in the country.” |
| The statement adds: “We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me.” | The statement adds: “We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me.” |
| Roof’s former stepmother, meanwhile, said the 21-year-old had been affected by “internet evil”. | Roof’s former stepmother, meanwhile, said the 21-year-old had been affected by “internet evil”. |
| “He was locked in his room looking up bad stuff on his computer,” Paige Mann, who is divorced from Roof’s father, told NBC News. “Something on the computer drew him in – this is internet evil.” | “He was locked in his room looking up bad stuff on his computer,” Paige Mann, who is divorced from Roof’s father, told NBC News. “Something on the computer drew him in – this is internet evil.” |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report. | The Associated Press contributed to this report. |