Relatives of some of the nine churchgoers shot dead in South Carolina have addressed the suspected gunman in court and said they forgive him.
Dylann Roof, 21, appeared in court in Charleston to face nine murder charges.
He showed no emotion as relatives of the victims addressed him directly. “I forgive you” said one victim’s daughter, fighting back tears.
Police are treating the killings at the African-American church on Wednesday night as a hate crime.
And the Justice Department says it is investigating whether it might have been an act of domestic terrorism.
It said in a statement, the shooting was “designed to strike fear and terror into this community”, and the department was considering all possibilities.
In court in Charleston on Friday afternoon, the 21-year-old Mr Roof spoke to confirm his name, age and address and said he was unemployed.
Then relatives were invited by the judge to come forward and speak.
A woman who identified herself as the daughter of Ethel Lance said: “You took something very precious from me. I will never talk to her ever again.
“I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you. And [may God] have mercy on your soul.”
Anthony Thompson, a relative of Myra Thompson, told Mr Roof to repent and to turn to Jesus Christ.
“I forgive you and my family forgives you,” he said.
Also speaking in court was Felecia Sanders, who survived the attack on Wednesday night by playing dead.
Her son, Tywanza, was fatally wounded.
“We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms. You have killed some of the most beautifulest people that I know. Every fibre in my body hurts … and I’ll never be the same,” she said to Mr Roof, who appeared via a video feed.
- Cynthia Hurd, 54
- Rev Clementa Pinckney, 41
- Rev Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45
- Tywanza Sanders, 26
- Ethel Lance, 70
- Rev Depayne Middleton-Doctor, 49
- Susie Jackson, 87
- Rev Daniel Simmons Sr, 74
- Myra Thompson, 59
The victims of the Charleston shooting
Court documents have revealed new details about the shooting.
Mr Roof entered the church just after 20:00 local time (01:00 BST) on Wednesday night and remained with the worshippers for nearly an hour before launching his attack.
All of the victims were hit multiple times, the documents said.
Before leaving, Mr Roof stood over one person who was not shot and “uttered a racially inflammatory statement”. That person has not been named, and has only been described as a “witness” in the court documents.
The judge set Mr Roof’s bond at $1m (£630,000) for the weapons possession charge but could not place a bond on the murder charges due to a legal technicality.
Mr Roof will now remain in jail, at least until a high court sets the bond for the murder charges.
This was Mr Roof’s first court appearance in South Carolina since the shooting.
He is accused of opening fire on a bible study group, killing nine people.
The state’s governor has called for him to face the death penalty.
A day after the attack, he was arrested 200 miles away in Shelby, North Carolina.
Source: BBC