#CharlestonShooting: Outrage on Twitter

A white gunman killed nine people at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, the city's police chief said on Thursday, describing the attack as a "hate crime". The suspect, who police described as a 21-year-old white man wearing a sweatshirt, jeans and boots, was still at large hours after the shooting on Wednesday evening. Eight victims were found dead in the church, Chief Gregory Mullen told reporters at a media conference, and a ninth person died after being taken to a hospital. One other person was wounded and receiving treatment. Mullen said: "It is unfathomable that somebody in today's society would walk into a church when people are having a prayer meeting and take their lives." None of the victims were immediately identified. But the Reverend Al Sharpton, the New York-based civil rights leader, said in a tweet that the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, the church's pastor and a member of the state Senate, was among the fatalities. Read more here.

This is how Twitter reacted to the news:

White n kill is mentally ill. Black n kill is racist. Muslim n kill is terrorist. Murderers are sickos - period. #charlestonshooting

— Mahrukh Inayet (@mahrukhinayet) June 18, 2015

Glad that white men aren't asked to apologize for #CharlestonShooting & engage in a condemn-a-thon. If only that was a universal standard.

— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) June 18, 2015

9 innocent people dead in #CharlestonShooting in a #church.Thoughts and prayers for victims & their families. What barbarity!

— Raza Rumi (@Razarumi) June 18, 2015

Senseless killing. Hate crime. Tragedy. Terror attack. All can be said of the #CharlestonShooting tonight. http://t.co/UqClqFNSw1

— Brian Ries (@moneyries) June 18, 2015

State of race relations in US,decades after civil rights movement & AA prez."9 shot dead at African American church" http://t.co/srTKo2NILx

— Rupa Subramanya (@rupasubramanya) June 18, 2015

"Why must you make this about race?" "Why must you deny that it is?" #CharlestonShooting

— Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) June 18, 2015