Police detain suspect in Charleston shooting

US police have detained a 21-year-old suspect in shooting in church in the city of Charleston (South Carolina), which killed nine people.

Earlier it was reported that the FBI identified Dylanna Ruf of Lexington in the attacker on the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The young man was captured near the city of Shelby in North Carolina about four hours away from the shooting site. According to some reports, the police went there after a call from a local resident.

Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen said that Ruf offered no resistance.

The shooting took place on Wednesday evening 17 June, around 21: 00 local time in a church on Calhoun Street.

An armed young man allegedly spent about an hour at a Bible study meeting, and then opened fire. Among the dead are six women and three men, including a pastor.

According to Mullen, when the police arrived on the scene, eight people were already dead, another died in hospital. Police also found three survivors.

One of the surviving women told her family that the attacker had left her alive so that she could report the incident, according to local media.

Two arrests

Uncle Rufa, Carson Coles, told Reuters that he recognized his nephew in the pictures made public by the police.

He described him as a quiet person, and said that Ruf had been given a gun for his birthday.

According to local courts, Ruf was twice under arrest for drug-related offenses and trespassing earlier in the year.

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said "this is a terrible and heartbreaking tragedy at our city's most historic church."

Emanuel’s African Methodist Episcopal Church was built in the 19th century and recently celebrated its 150 anniversary. This is one of the oldest African-American parishes in the United States. The church is located in the heart of the popular tourist city of Charleston. One of the founders of the church, Dania Vesi, was the leader of the failed slave uprising in 1822.