Thomas Robert Shewtzuk is wanted by South Carolina police for a fatal shooting over the weekend, and now speculation is rising that he could also be responsible for the massacre at a Charleston church that left nine people dead.
On Wednesday night, a white male sat inside Emanuel AME Church in the city during a prayer meeting. Witnesses say after roughly an hour the man opened fire, killing nine people including the church’s pastor, a state senator.
Police have described the attack as a hate crime.
“This is a situation that is unacceptable in any society and especially in our society and our city,” Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen said.
On Thursday morning, police released pictures of the suspect walking into the church. He is a white man with a small frame and dark, straight hair.
NEW: Police release these photos of suspect in Charleston, SC shooting. pic.twitter.com/MfEkze0Bl3
— ABC News (@ABC) June 18, 2015
Police have other evidence as well, including a picture of the suspect’s dark four-door car. Police said the vehicle had a very distinctive license plate, but did not yet release it.
Officials warned residents to remain vigilant, noting that the suspect is considered armed and dangerous.
There is speculation among locals that Robert Thomas Shewtzuk could be connected to both, as he matches the general description of the church shooting suspect.
Locals speculate if alleged killer Robert Thomas Shewtzuk is also #CharlestonShooting suspect. http://t.co/vEpEpinIYh pic.twitter.com/XKbAkv6awF
— Nicola_A_Menzie (@namenzie) June 18, 2015
Shewtzuk is 18. @CharlestonPD says #EmanuelAME #CharlestonShooting suspect’s a whitw male, approx 21, slender small build, clean shaven.
— Nicola_A_Menzie (@namenzie) June 18, 2015
Early reports on Shewtzuk “described as being a white male with brownish hair that may be shaved. He’s 5’06”, 140 lbs and has tattoos…”
— Nicola_A_Menzie (@namenzie) June 18, 2015
Shewtzuk is already wanted for the murder of 18-year-old Travis Gordon, a black youth who was shot dead outside a convenience store in Summerville over the weekend.
But beyond speculation among locals and the timing of the shootings, the evidence that Thomas Robert Shewtzuk is the Charleston church shooting suspect may be thin. Police noted over the weekend that Shewtzuk may have shaved his head, and the suspect in Wednesday’s mass shooting had long hair. Facebook pictures of Shewtzuk released over the weekend also show him with curly hair, not straight, as pictures of the church shooting suspect showed.
Police have not yet commented whether Thomas Robert Shewtzuk is a suspect in Wednesday’s Charleston church shooting.
[Image via Facebook]