Nine dead in Charleston church shooting; now being investigated as hate crime

Charleston, S.C. – Nine people are dead after they were shot down while inside of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday night.

Among the victims was State Senator Clementa Pinckney (D). He served in the General Assembly for 18 years. He was the pastor of the church. An official says he was 41-years-old.

According to MSN.com, police have now identified the gunman who they say is responsible.

They’ve named the suspect as Dylann Roof of Columbia, SC.

The man’s uncle recognized him in the surveillance photo.

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a hate crime investigation into this shooting in which six females and three males were killed.

To read more about this story, please visit msn.com.