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1st LD Writethru: UN chief slams killing of 9 people in U.S. state of South Carolina

Xinhua, June 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday strongly condemned the killing of nine people at a prayer meeting in a historic black church in Charleston's downtown area in the U.S. state of South Carolina.

"The secretary-general strongly condemns the apparently racially motivated killing of nine people in a historic African- American church in the U.S. city of Charleston on 17 June," deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said at a daily news briefing here.

Ban "extends his deep condolences to the loved ones of the victims and his solidarity to the survivors," Haq said. "He hopes the person or persons responsible for this hateful act of violence will be swiftly brought to justice."

The gunman suspected of killing the nine people was taken into custody Thursday morning in Shelby, North Carolina, local police said.

The tragedy took place Wednesday night inside the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, near the heart of Charleston's tourist district. Endite