A gunman opened fire inside a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine people and wounding several others. The victims were attending Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church when the attack occurred, shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday.

The known victims include the church's pastor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a state senator, and his sister. Police described the shooting as a "hate crime." Known as "Mother Emanuel," the Emanuel AME Church is home to the oldest black congregation south of Baltimore. It was burned in the 1820s during a slave rebellion and has stood at its present location since 1872. The church has its roots in the early 19th century and was founded in part by a freed slave named Denmark Vesey, who was later executed for organizing a slave revolt. "Democracy Now!" is joined by Dr. Lonnie Randolph Jr., state president of the South Carolina NAACP.

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