Thousands of mourners gather for Charleston vigil

Charleston vigil
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

More than 4,000 people in Charleston, South Carolina, gathered in a basketball arena to mourn the nine people killed in Wednesday night's shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Victims' families were joined by state lawmakers, law enforcement officials, clergymen, and other community members Friday night.

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"If that man thought he could divide this city or this country with his racial hatred, we are here today to say he miserably failed," Mayor Joe Riley said of suspected shooter Dylann Roof. "In our broken hearts, we realize we love each other more."

The crowd swayed together to "We Shall Overcome."

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.