Police are searching for a gunman who opened fire inside a historic black church in South Carolina, killing nine people and wounding several others. The victims were attending Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church when the attack occurred, shortly after 9 p.m. Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen called the massacre a hate crime.

Gregory Mullen: “We are looking for a white male, approximately 21 years old, sandy blonde hair. And he obviously is extremely dangerous. And what we are asking is that if anyone in the community has information about this particular individual, that he contact law enforcement immediately.”

Reporter: “Do you believe this was a hate crime?”

Gregory Mullen: “I do believe this was a hate crime.”

The known victims include the church’s pastor, the Reverend Clementa Pinckney, and his sister. Reverend Pinckney also served as a state senator. Just hours earlier, he had campaigned with Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton in Charleston. After meeting with the victims’ families, Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley described a “heartbreaking scene.”

Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley Jr.: “As Chief Mullen said, our city police department, county police department, state law enforcement division, other municipalities, the FBI and others are all combined and working with us to make sure that we catch this awful person and bring him to justice as soon as possible. We just left speaking with members of the family, a heartbreaking scene I have never witnessed in my life before.”

Known as “Mother Emanuel,” the Emanuel AME Church is home to the oldest black congregation south of Baltimore. It was burned in the 1820s during a slave rebellion and has stood at its present location since 1872.