Other than Mitt Romney going full crazy, the thing that strikes me here is the revelation that Roof was set off by typing "black on White crime" into Google. I’m interested in seeing how this factor is handle by the know-it-all media. It’s awkward for them.
By The Associated Press
1:40 p.m.
Congregation members say the historic black church where nine people were killed is going to re-open for Sunday morning service.
Cassie Watson said Saturday that the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church will open at 8:30 a.m. for Sunday school and 9 a.m. for a service.
Watson was one of more than a dozen people to enter the building after a cleaning crew had worked on it. Other congregation members also confirmed the church would open Sunday.
Authorities say 21-year-old Dylann Roof fatally shot nine people at the church on Wednesday night.
1:10 p.m.
About six to 10 people trickled into the historic black church that was the scene of a deadly shooting rampage earlier this week.
Presumably congregation members, they came to Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Saturday through a parking lot that's still closed to the public. Some of them then embraced before entering the church through a side door on the street, where cleaning crews had been working earlier in the day.
Authorities say 21-year-old Dylann Roof also entered the church through a side door on the street level on Wednesday night and stayed at a Bible study for about an hour before opening fire, killing nine people.
1 p.m.
Mitt Romney says it's time to take down the Confederate flag that's flying near the South Carolina Capitol.
The 2012 Republican presidential nominee tweets that the flag "is a symbol of racial hatred" to many people. His view: "Remove it now to honor" the nine victims of the church shooting in Charleston.
President Barack Obama has said he thinks the flag belongs in a museum.
South Carolina was the last state to fly the Confederate battle flag from its Capitol dome. In 2000, it was moved to a 30-foot flagpole in front of the Statehouse.
12:40 p.m.
Photographs that appear to show the Charleston church shooting suspect holding a Confederate flag and burning an American flag appear with a racist rant on a newly uncovered website.
The purported manifesto was found on a website called LastRhodesian.com and surfaced Saturday. It's unclear if he wrote it but the writings are in line with what Roof has told friends and what he said before allegedly opening fire in the black church Wednesday night.
Internet registry records show that the website was registered on Feb. 9 via a Russian registry service - a common tactic use by those to obscure personal details or hide who is behind any particular website.
The 60 pictures include Roof holding a Confederate flag and a close-up of a .45-calibar pistol. He is accused of using a similar handgun in the church shooting.
The nearly 2,500-word essay starts with Roof saying he was not raised in a racist home, but concluded he needed to become violent after typing "black on White crime" into Google. He says he chose Charleston because at one time it had the highest ratio of blacks to whites and white supremacist groups were not doing enough.
Charleston Police didn't immediately respond to a message.
10:15 p.m.
The memorial in front of the black church is growing with bouquets of flowers, balloons and teddy bears.
On Saturday morning, a couple dozen people stood in front of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where police say a young white man opened fire at the end of a Bible study group and killed nine people on Wednesday night.
Roses are intertwined in the black wrought-iron fence in front of the church and colorful bouquets of flowers are piled on top of each other.
Authorities say 21-year-old Dylann Roof opened fire inside the church. He has been arrested and charged with nine counts of murder. He is currently being held in jail on a $1 million bond.
