Relatives of some of the nine churchgoers shot dead in South Carolina have addressed the suspected gunman in court and said they forgive him.
Dylann Roof, 21, appeared in court in Charleston to face nine murder charges.
He showed no emotion as relatives of the victims addressed him directly. "I forgive you" said one victim's daughter, fighting back tears.
Police are treating the killings at the African-American church on Wednesday night as a hate crime.
And the Justice Department says it is investigating whether it might have been an act of domestic terrorism.
It said in a statement, the shooting was "designed to strike fear and terror into this community", and the department was considering all possibilities.
In court in Charleston on Friday afternoon, the 21-year-old Mr Roof spoke to confirm his name, age and address and said he was unemployed.
The victims
Clockwise from top left: Cynthia Hurd, Clementa Pinckney, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Ethel Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Susie Jackson, Daniel Simmons Sr- Cynthia Hurd, 54
- Rev Clementa Pinckney, 41
- Rev Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45
- Tywanza Sanders, 26
- Ethel Lance, 70
- Rev Depayne Middleton-Doctor, 49
- Susie Jackson, 87
- Rev Daniel Simmons Sr, 74
- Myra Thompson, 59
Court documents have revealed new details about the shooting.
Mr Roof entered the church just after 20:00 local time (01:00 BST) on Wednesday night and remained with the worshippers for nearly an hour before launching his attack.
All of the victims were hit multiple times, the documents said.
Before leaving, Mr Roof stood over one person who was not shot and "uttered a racially inflammatory statement". That person has not been named, and has only been described as a "witness" in the court documents.
The judge set Mr Roof's bond at $1m (£630,000) for the weapons possession charge but could not place a bond on the murder charges due to a legal technicality.
Mr Roof will now remain in jail, at least until a high court sets the bond for the murder charges.
This was Mr Roof's first court appearance in South Carolina since the shooting.
He is accused of opening fire on a bible study group, killing nine people.
The state's governor has called for him to face the death penalty.
A day after the attack, he was arrested 200 miles away in Shelby, North Carolina.
How world viewed attack
"Racist shooting stirs up America's worst ghosts," writes Spain's El Pais.
The US events are "so shocking that they are unspeakable," writes Italy's La Stampa.
"Pain, fear and anger have engulfed America after the shooting, exacerbating the racial demons of a deeply fractured society," says Frederic Autran, the New York correspondent for France's Liberation.
Writing in Russia's popular Moskovskiy Komsomolets daily, Melor Sturua accuses Mr Obama of ducking the real issue by opting to describe the killings as "senseless" rather than "racist".
In Iran, the conservative Fars News Agency says that "racism is a dark phenomenon which has its roots in the heart of the American society".
The official Xinhua agency in China said the violence "mirrors the US government's inaction on rampant gun violence as well as the growing racial hatred in the country".
The community is in shock
Then relatives were invited by the judge to come forward and speak.
A woman who identified herself as the daughter of Ethel Lance said: "You took something very precious from me. I will never talk to her ever again.
"I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you. And [may God] have mercy on your soul."
Anthony Thompson, a relative of Myra Thompson, told Mr Roof to repent and to turn to Jesus Christ.
"I forgive you and my family forgives you," he said.
Source BBC
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