CHARLESTON — 2015 · Major Tragedy
The Emanuel AME Church Shooting
On the evening of 17 June 2015, at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, one of the oldest Black churches in the American South, a 21-year-old white supremacist who had sat with a Bible study group for about an hour opened fire on them. Nine people were killed, including the senior pastor and state senator Clementa Pinckney. The gunman was arrested the next morning in North Carolina. In December 2016 he was convicted of 33 federal hate-crime and murder charges and sentenced to death; in the state case he pleaded guilty and received life imprisonment. The families' words of forgiveness in court resonated nationally, and the attack led to the Confederate flag's removal from the State House grounds.
- Date
- 2015
- Place
- South Carolina, USA, Charleston, US
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 32.7874, -79.9330 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 17 June 2015Nine people were killed during a Bible study.
- 18 June 2015The perpetrator was arrested in Shelby, North Carolina.
- July 2015The Confederate flag was removed from the State House grounds.
- 10 January 2017The perpetrator was sentenced to death in federal court.
- April 2017He pleaded guilty to state charges and received life imprisonment.
Sources
- Britannica — Charleston church shooting britannica.com ↗
- BlackPast — The Charleston Church Massacre (2015) blackpast.org ↗
- History.com — Charleston church shooting history.com ↗
- Britannica
- BlackPast
- History.com
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.