Crowds gathered at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church for the first worship service at the historic African American church since a white gunman killed nine black people at Bible study group there last week.
Charleston Church Reopens
![A vendor sells candy floss in Kabul during the Afghan New Year (Nowruz) festivities.](https://gdb.voanews.com/24e65b38-65dd-4992-ad01-fcb6111a18ab_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A vendor sells candy floss in Kabul during the Afghan New Year (Nowruz) festivities.
![Police officers are seen at the entrance of Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, June 21, 2015. (Amanda Scott/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/e0da28ed-cdbe-4bf9-b2d2-85b83e421c96_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Police officers are seen at the entrance of Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, June 21, 2015. (Amanda Scott/VOA)
![A makeshift cross with commmorative messages is seen near Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, June 21, 2015. (Amanda Scott/VOA)](https://gdb.voanews.com/50b8b4d0-f377-461e-bdd6-625dcd4fffc1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A makeshift cross with commmorative messages is seen near Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, June 21, 2015. (Amanda Scott/VOA)
![Mourners lay flowers outside of outside of Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, June 21, 2015. (Amanda Scott/VOA) ](https://gdb.voanews.com/a976921a-118e-4ac4-9a86-cd6ca41bde11_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Mourners lay flowers outside of outside of Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, June 21, 2015. (Amanda Scott/VOA)