South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley addressed the media with an emotional statement Thursday after the capture of suspected Charleston mass murderer Dylann Roof, saying "the heart and soul of South Carolina was broken."
"We have some grieving to do, and we've got some pain we have to go through," she said, fighting back tears. "We are a strong and faithful state. We love our state, we love our country and most importantly, we love each other."
Haley said the outpouring of emotion from across the country was "overwhelming," and she praised the various levels of law enforcement that came together to arrest Roof quickly.
Roof was apprehended around 11 a.m. Thursday in Shelby, N.C., WLTX reports:
According to Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen, a citizen noticed a suspicious vehicle and called police in Shelby. An officer pulled him over a short time later, and he was taken into custody without incident.
Mullen said so far, Mullen has been "cooperative." He added that a gun was found in the vehicle.
Roof, a white 21-year-old, is accused of shooting and killing nine people, all black, inside a historic African American church in Charleston, S.C., Wednesday night. Authorities are investigating the massacre as a hate crime.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who announced this week he was running for president, released a statement saying, "Columba and I mourn today with the Emanuel AME Church and the families of the victims of this terrible crime. Our hearts are broken at the senseless loss of life. Our prayers are for the community that has lost its pastor and a brave leader. May the families and the city of Charleston be lifted up by the prayers of our entire nation."