Charleston Massacre: Local Paper Places Gun Ad Above Front Page Story On Shooting

The shooting at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church that left nine dead was the top story on the front page of The Post and Courier Thursday – and right above it was an ad for a local gun shop.

Gun Ad On Charleston Paper

The headline on the above-the-fold article reads, “Church attack kills 9: Manhunt on for suspect after ‘hate crime’ shooting at Emmanuel AME.” A sticker ad placed above the story boasts of semi-automatic pistol or revolver rentals with 50 pounds of ammunition. “$30 gets you everything!” it enthuses.

Screenshots of the paper soon went viral online, with the vast majority of people finding the ad placement inappropriate and insensitive. Both the newspaper and the gun shop have since issued apologies.

“The placement of a sticky note ad on the front page of some home delivery newspapers on Thursday was a deeply regrettable coincidence,” The Post and Courier‘s Mitch Pugh told People magazine. “We apologize.”

Arlyn Pendergast, who owns the A.T.P. Gun Shop & Range, also expressed his regret. “There’s no way we would have run this ad,” Pendergast told People. “As a matter of fact, we stopped everything as soon as we found out.”

Suspect Dylann Storm Roof was apprehended by police on Thursday for the murders of the nine churchgoers, who were attending bible study Wednesday night. Roof has since confessed to the shooting, according to CNN, and told police that he had wanted to start a race war.