US church holds first service after massacre

Hundreds of people have flocked to Emanuel African
Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, in the US city of
South Carolina, after it reopened its doors to worshippers,
four days after a white man shot nine black church members
to death.
Sunday morning marked the first worship service at the
church since Dylann Roof, 21, sat among a Bible study group
and opened fire on Wednesday after saying that he targeted
them because they were black, authorities said.
“It has been tough, it’s been rough, some of us have been
downright angry, but through it all God has sustained us and
has encouraged us,” said the Reverend Norvel Goff, who was
appointed pastor to replace Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a state
politician, who was among those people killed.
Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from Charleston,
described a “very emotional” church service attended by an
estimated 2,000 people.
Church attendees sang gospel songs as thousands more
gathered outside to show their solidarity following the
shooting.

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