Dylann Storm Roof, the suspect in Wednesday night's Charleston church shooting that killed nine, was reportedly captured on Thursday in Shelby, North Carolina.
Roof, 21, allegedly spent an hour at a prayer meeting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church before standing up and opening fire,
CNN reported.
Law enforcement officials say they believe Roof used a handgun to kill six women and three men, including church pastor Rev. Clementa Pinckney. They said they also believe the alleged murders were racially motivated, as Roof is white and the church has a historically black congregation.
Sylvia Johnson, the cousin of Pinckney, told reporters that she spoke with one of the shooting's survivors. According to Johnson, the woman "said that he had reloaded five different times... and he just said 'I have to do it. You rape our women and you're taking over our country. And you have to go.'"
President Barack Obama held a press conference on Thursday afternoon where he decried the shooting, saying in part, "There is something particularly heartbreaking about death happening in a place in which we seek solace."
"By my count, this will be at least the 14th time Pres Obama has made a statement on a shooting attack," CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller
wrote on Twitter.
Some news outlets pointed out that on Roof's Facebook profile he is pictured wearing a jacket with multiple patches. One of the patches appears to be the former flag of South Africa, during the time it imposed apartheid.
NBC affiliate WIS-TV reported that Roof was arrested on drug charges in March.
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