Charleston Seeks Unity as Gunman Faces Nine Murder Counts

The people of Charleston built a memorial and planned a vigil Friday to repudiate whatever a gunman would hope to accomplish by killing nine black community leaders inside one of the nation's most important African-American churches. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the state will "absolutely" want the death penalty for Dylann Storm Roof, who allegedly opened fire after sitting through a Wednesday night Bible study session inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. A steady stream of people brought flowers and notes and shared somber thoughts at a growing memorial in front of the church, which President Barack Obama called "a sacred place in the history of Charleston and in the history of America." Rev. Cornell William Brooks, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Friday in Charleston, "This was an act of racial terrorism and must be treated as such."