I want to back up for a moment and put together what we know as of now about this mass shooting in Charlestown, along with the context which can be lost in the rat-tat-tat of on-going updates.
At about 9 PM this evening a 21-year-old white man, slender and clean shaven, entered the oldest black congregation south of Baltimore and opened fire on parishioners, shooting nine people. Police have now said there were “multiple” fatalities but have released no more details.
Shortly after the shooting, there was a bomb threat which complicated the manhunt and investigation and led police to evacuate a wide area around the church. The latest news reports suggest that police have now dismissed the possibility of a bomb, though that hasn’t been stated definitively.
The specific reference to a 21-year-old-male – rather than a more general description or age range – suggests police likely know the identity of the alleged shooter.
The church in question, Emanuel AME Church, traces its history back to 1816 and one of its founders was Denmark Vesey, a freed slave who attempted to lead one of the most storied slave revolts in southern history. Tuesday, June 16th, was the anniversary of the day designated for the uprising.
