Charleston Church Re-Opens After Massacre
A church in Charleston where a racist gunman murdered nine African-American worshippers has held its first service since the shooting.
Around 400 people, with police watching over them, packed the Emanuel African American Episcopal Church for the service, which was led by a visiting minister as the congregation's pastor was among those killed in the attacks
Reverend Norvel Goff told the congregation, in between songs and prayers, that accused gunman Dylann Roof had failed miserably in his quest to break their spirit, love and faith.
He said the church members killed by the 21-year-old had been "in the house of the Lord, studying your word, praying with one another".
"But the devil also entered - and the devil was trying to take charge," he said.
"Thanks be to God, hallelujah, that the devil cannot take control of your people. And the devil cannot take control of your church."
Speaking after the service, church member Travis Holmes told Sky News the shootings would not stop him and others from following their faith.
He said: "We're just going to keep going. We're going to keep following. We're not going to give up."
Later on Sunday, more than 10,000 people spread out across the 2.5-mile (four kilometre) Arthur Ravenel Bridge to hold hands in a show of solidarity.
"It's not black lives that matter any more. All lives matter," said Black Lives Matter leader Jay Johnson to loud cheers as he joined the overwhelmingly white and cheerful crowd.
Participants linked hands in a "unity chain" from Charleston to the middle-class suburb of Mount Pleasant and observed nine minutes of silence, one for each of the victims.
Crowds gathered on either side of the bridge around dusk and then met toward the middle of the span.
Part of the bridge was closed as people were walking, taking pictures and chatting.
When the marchers from the two sides met on the bridge, they clapped and sang This Little Light of Mine.
Authorities are treating the shooting as a hate crime and investigating it as a possible act of domestic terrorism.
It comes after the emergence of a racist manifesto apparently written by Roof, and a series of photographs of him posing with guns, the Confederate Flag - and burning the Stars and Stripes.
He appeared in court via video link on Friday, handcuffed and dressed in a jail jumpsuit. He spoke only to answer questions, stating his age and that he was unemployed.
Roof is charged with nine counts of murder - with his victims aged between 26 and 87, and possession of a firearm in connection with the shooting spree in Charleston.
All of the victims were African-American.
Roof remains in custody.
