The man suspected of killing nine people last night at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C., sat with his victims for an hour before opening fire, authorities said this morning. The Post and Courier reports that the suspect, a white man in his early 20s, took part in a nighttime prayer meeting at the church.

Police released surveillance photos of the suspect, who is still at large, this morning. The nine victims—six women and three men—have yet to all be identified. Charleston’s police chief and mayor are calling the tragedy a hate crime.

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