(CNN) — Charleston, South Carolina, police tweeted Friday that Dylann Roof is charged with nine counts of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime for this week’s shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historically black church in the city.
Dylann Roof confessed to authorities to shooting and killing nine people this week at the church, two law enforcement officials said. One of the officials said that Roof, who is white, told investigators that he wanted to start a race war.
Speaking on a visit to Italy on Friday, first lady Michelle Obama addressed the shooting in Charleston, echoing her husband when she said “simply saying that our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families in the community of Charleston simply does not convey the heartache that we all feel.” “We have seen too many tragedies like this, there is something particularly horrifying about something that happened, so senseless in a house of worship,” the first lady continued. “My heart goes out to the people of Emanuel and the people of Charleston. I pray for a community that I know is in pain and with the hope that tragedies like these will one day come to an end.”
Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten identified the victims of Wednesday’s shooting as follows: Cynthia Hurd, 54; Suzy Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Hon. Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; Rev. Sharonda Singleton, 45; Myra Thompson, 59.
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