A 17-year-old boy is facing charges after pimping a 14-year-old runaway in Hialeah, police said.

Christopher Velazquez was arrested Tuesday on charges of human trafficking and procuring prostitution of a minor.

According to an arrest report, the victim was acquainted with Velazquez, and asked him where she could stay after she ran away from home on March 28.

Police said he told her she could stay at the home of Jeffrey Goering-Puig, 28, and Sarah Yates, 30, but that she could not stay there for free.

The victim told police that Yates told her that she was a prostitute and a pimp and that the victim would also have to work as a prostitute to earn her keep.

Police said messages from Velazquez's cellphone through the KIK app show that he solicited the victim to have sex with Orlando Otero, 22, in exchange for money that he owed him.

He then solicited her to Otero again for either "$100 or a blunt."

Velazquez, Goering-Puig, Yates and Otero all face charges in the case.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter@WPLGLocal10

The Attorney General's Office is taking a closer look at complaints against Mattress One.

The Local 10 News Call Christina hotline received four back-to-back calls from viewers about the company.

Viewer Kelly Benson of Miami Lakes was the first to call in after going into Mattress One to buy a new pillow top mattress. Benson's issues with the company started at delivery.

"We are now six months later and I still do not have a mattress," said Benson.

"The mattress keeps going down, you sit on there you feel like your falling out of it. It keeps moving when you sit on it," said another viewer, Mary Roca. After receiving her mattress late at night, she discovered the mattress was causing her back pain and later she determined it was broken.

A third viewer, Frank Boynton, also reached out to Call Christina after he purchased a mattress and it was never delivered.

"It's ridiculous," said Boynton, "It's not the way to do business."

A fourth Local 10 viewer called to complain about a delivery issue.

These calls came to Call Christina after the customers filed complaints with Mattress One and never heard back.

"I send them all kinds of pictures, I send them the receipt, and then after that, that was it," said Roca. "I never hear from them again. I'm waiting and waiting."

A district manager did work with the Call Christina team to resolve each viewer's complaint.

Prompted by the back-to-back calls, Local 10 News Investigative Reporter Christina Vazquez began digging into complaints filed on a local, state, and federal level.

In the past three years, 69 complaints against Mattress One were filed in Miami-Dade County, The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Federal Trade Commission.

Another 86 complaints were filed with the Better Business Bureau against Mattress One, Inc.

Sixty-five percent of those complaints the BBB listed as "Unanswered- the business failed to respond to the dispute."

BBB says in seven cases, Mattress One did respond to the dispute, "but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it."

The Florida Attorney General's Office tells Local 10 News it has received at least 100 complaints about Mattress One since 2008.

According to state records, the owner of Mattress One, Inc. is Mohanad Salem.

Over the phone, Salem said he could only address complaints in the Miami-Dade County area since his company, Mattress One, Inc. owns stores in South Florida and relatives own other stores in other markets of the state under different LLCs.

Consumer advocates said that is irrelevant from a consumer's prospective given that all complaints are filed under the brand name "Mattress One" and all stores share the same website, customer service phone number, and customer service email.

Salem said he would be working to address any unresolved complaints.

"We are investigating all complaints related to this company," said Office of the Attorney General Director of Media Relations Whitney Ray, "Regardless of whether other family members may own some of the stores."

Operations Manager Amin Ebrahimi, spoke to Local 10 News briefly.

"I'm just here to let you know that if you know of any customer complaint that I don't know about, I'd love to take care of them," Ebrahimi said.

The Call Christina team reached out to Nova Southeastern University Law School Professor and former Washington State Attorney General Michael Flynn, who specialized in Antitrust and Consumer Protection Laws.

WEB EXTRA: Attorney Michael Flynn on warranties

"The only way you attract and keep consumers and get them to purchase is if in fact you're running a company that is consumer friendly. If it's not, people will know about it," said Flynn. 

Those who reached out to Local 10 News did receive a resolution to their Mattress One problems courtesy of a district manager. Kelly Benson received her mattress, Mary Roca received a new box spring, and Frank Boynton received a refund. A fourth viewer received a refund of more than $2,000.

"If there is some kind of warranty involved, you must read the fine print," said Flynn.

Companies are not required to offer any kind of warranty protection. This leaves the customer in a position to receive what they are offered.

Flynn said warranties are very specific and customers need to read the warranty carefully.

Follow Christina Vazquez on Twitter @CallChristinaTV

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter@WPLGLocal10

A 22-year-old man is facing charges after breaking into a Miami Beach apartment on Tuesday and attacking a man who lives there, police said.

According to a police report, Jesus Varela entered the apartment while the victim was preparing a meal for himself and feeding his dog.

Police said the 72-year-old victim told Varela to leave, but Varela grabbed the victim by the neck and knocked him down on the floor. 

Varela then hid in a bedroom, at which point the victim grabbed his .22-caliber gun and fired one shot in Varela's direction, police said.

Police said Varela wasn't hit by the bullet but fell to the ground and hid under a mattress.

Neighbors eventually helped the victim subdue Varela until officers arrived.

Varela faces charges of burglary and aggravated battery on a person 65 years of age or older.

The city of Miami Police Department and friends of an international graduate student who was shot dead outside his Little Havana apartment over the weekend are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

Sciharia Aila Sai Kiran, 22, was shot and killed early Sunday morning outside the Miramar Apartments at 1043 SW Sixth Street.

Miami Police Sgt. Altarr Williams said Kiran was on the phone with a friend in Mississippi about 2:30 a.m. when the friend on the other end of the line heard a man tell the victim, "give me your phone."

"He don't have any enemies here. He don't have any other relations here. He only knows me and my friend," said Kiran's friend, Hari Katroth.

Katroth said earlier that night, all three had dinner and they remember when Kiran got a phone call and left the apartment.

"He's such a good person. He goes to school and he comes home. That's it," said Kiran's other friend, Krishna Katukam.

Kiran had recently begun a master’s program at Atlantis University in Miami.

"This was very cold blooded, and it was very horrific and very sad that a young man will come here to America to try and further his education and help his family back in India -- so it's very unfortunate," said Williams.

Although police believe the shooting was the result of a robbery, Kiran still had his cellphone, jewelry and wallet with him when he was found dead.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. A reward of up to $3,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter@WPLGLocal10

At least two cars were involved in a crash Wednesday afternoon on the Palmetto Expressway.

Sky 10 was above the scene about 5 p.m. as one southbound lane was getting by on State Road 826 near 74th Street.

Several Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trucks and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper were at the scene.

Shortly after both northbound and southbound lanes were shut down as at least one person was airlifted to a hospital.

It's unclear whether anyone else was injured.

All lanes have since reopened.

No other details were immediately released.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter@WPLGLocal10

Racilia Nonsaint was in tears. She said she was worried about the fate of her nieces and their children, who live in the Dominican Republic. She was asking Miami activist Marlene Bastien for help.

Bastien said Nonsaint is one of many Haitian migrants in Miami, who fear that their relatives will suffer if Dominican authorities forced them to return to Haiti, where poverty and unemployment still reign. 

Under a new law, non-citizens must show they have been in the country since before October 2011 to qualify for legal residency.

"If they are deported, what will they do? Nonsaint said. "Haiti is broken."

Haitian migrants in Miami said there may be an influx of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, because the law rendered thousands effectively stateless. The new policy is aimed at regulating the historic flow of migrants from impoverished Haiti to the relatively wealthier Dominican Republic. 

The government pushed the policy forward last year amid international criticism of a Supreme Court decision saying people born in the country to non-citizens did not qualify for citizenship under the constitution.

Under the new law, the only way for Haitians to qualify for Dominican citizenship is to have had at least one parent who was a citizen or a legal resident. Non-citizens must show they have been in the country since before October 2011 to qualify for legal residency.

The Interior Ministry has said there are about 500,000 people who could qualify. But so far, about 250,000 have registered. And only about 10,000 have produced sufficient documentation, officials said.

Another concern is an estimated 50,000 people who have no documentation at all, including many who were born in the Dominican Republic. Some may qualify to stay but have no way to prove their claim and could be deported to a country they know nothing about.

"It would be catastrophic because they have never been in Haiti, they don't know anyone there, they don't have family," said Chiari Ligouri, a researcher for the Caribbean chapter of Amnesty International. "What would happen with them?"

In Miami, Bastien said that Haitian migrants in Miami have said some of their relatives have been living in the Dominican Republic for decades, but were unable to get birth certificates or other documentation.

"It is a burden many of these people cannot meet, because they were denied documentation in the first place," Bastien said.

MIDNIGHT DEADLINE

Meanwhile in Santo Domingo, many hoping to avoid deportation waited anxiously in long lines Wednesday, eager to submit applications for legal residency before the midnight deadline.

"I have nothing in Haiti," Jaquenol Martinez said in Spanish. He is a sugar cane worker and was waiting to submit his application under a program to register migrant workers that arrived a year ago.

Martinez said he has been in the Dominican Republic since he came from neighboring Haiti with his parents as an 8-year-old in 1963. Under the "regularization" program, he should qualify for legal residency, but the Haitian government has yet to provide him with a birth certificate to establish his identity.

Others said they had similar difficulties getting identification from the Haitian Embassy or have been unable to get documents from employers in the Dominican Republic, where many work under informal arrangements in construction, agriculture or as gardeners and maids.

"On my own, I haven't been able to resolve anything,"Delinua Jean-Francois said. He said he has been harvesting sugar cane in the country since 1984.

EXODUS BEGINS

For those who are deported back to Haiti, a difficult road awaits. The nation is still rebuilding after the 2010 earthquake, and for the majority of deportees --  there will be a language barrier. Many of them don’t speak Creole.

"You are really creating a situation for people to live stateless in a country that is itself in crisis," Bastien said.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic said those who have registered have temporary documents that will allow them to remain while their cases are evaluated.

But although authorities have said that they don't plan to execute mass deportations, the country's migration agency has prepared about a dozen buses and set up repatriation centers.

"There is a lot of uncertainty and worry," said Joseph Cherubin, director of an organization called the Sociocultural Movement of Haitian Workers.

Human rights groups say they fear that migration agency officials and the military will deport people arbitrarily if they look Haitian or speak Spanish with a Creole accent as has been done in the past.

At least 12 people were deported Wednesday, and some of them claimed they had been in the country before October 2011.

The Haitian government has cleared a field near the border-crossing point of Malpasse to provide assistance to people who have been deported. But the area was deserted Wednesday except for some guards and construction crews.

Some Haitians were not waiting around. A local TV station broadcasted images of vehicles loaded with furniture and other belongings. They were Haitians reportedly heading for the border.

Follow Local 10 News' Neki Mohan on Twitter @NekiMohan

If you fall in love with the cute little Pepper, you must know it's Japanese maker is moving closer to making it easier for South Florida's Tamagotchi addicts to own the 4-foot social humanoid, as soon as next year.

SoftBank, which controls Sprint in the U.S. and unveiled Pepper last year will start selling it in Japan on Saturday. The $1,600 multilingual robot (17 languages) is equipped with a 3-D camera, an ultrasound system and tactile sensors.

On Thursday the company announced  that they made a $236 million deal with Foxconn, a Taiwanese manufacturer, and Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company, to move forward with a global sales plan.

"We are delighted to play an active role in the emerging field of robotics, that with cutting-edge technology and trans-formative products and services, can positively impact millions of lives,” Alibaba's founder Jack Ma said Thursday.

The robot is designed to be a social companion.  In "Robot and Frank" style, it is ready to interact with the elderly and hospital patients. And somewhat like "Chappie," the robot is capable of adaptation and self-improvement.

As a "sociable person" -- the wheeled robot originally created to be a store greeter -- was designed to perceive "universal emotions" such as doubt and surprise. Nestle already got the 60-pound robot to wear a bow-tie and sell coffee in Tokyo.

Those who are ready to buy the robot will have to sign up for a three-year contract that will require users to pay about $200 in monthly fees and acquire insurance, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The good news for app developers: The software is open source.

Follow Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres on Twitter @MiamiCrime

Pepper robot

The father of a 3-year-old boy who was allegedly killed at the hands of his stepmother was arrested Wednesday after crashing his car into a security gate, police said.

Nelson Osceola, 24, faces numerous charges, including driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash and fleeing and eluding an officer.

"Mr. Osceola is the father of a child who is deceased and has been struggling with the reality that his son is dead, so to say that he was intoxicated doesn't surprise me in the least," Osceola's attorney, Hillard Moldof said.

According to Seminole police reports, Osceola drove through a security gate on the Seminole Tribe of Florida reservation about 2:30 a.m., breaking the arm off the gate.

Police found Osceola nearby but said he fled once the officer turned on his vehicle's emergency lights.

Police said Osceola was followed by numerous patrol vehicles, but refused to stop. They said he eventually got out of his car and jumped over a fence before being taken into custody.

Osceola was out on bond for a child neglect charge in the death of his son, Ahziya, when he was arrested this week.

Ahziya was found stuffed inside garbage bags and a box hidden in the laundry room of his Hollywood home in February. Osceola's wife, Analiz, is behind bars on charges of manslaughter.

The Florida Department of Children and Families has investigated the family four times before the boy's death and, according to the medical examiner, Ahziya had past injuries that showed previous physical abuse.

Osceola's bond was set at more than $2,700 Thursday.

"I am sure he will be out and be sober and be fine," said Moldof. "In a week he will get the message, but this was probably a wake up call for Nelson."

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

From postal carrier robbers to men involved in an attack on a disabled woman, police release sketches of South Florida's most wanted criminals.

DATABASE: Click here to search Miami-Dade County's Employee Salary database

The Broward Sheriff's Office is searching for a man who put a credit card skimming device on a Bank of America ATM in Cooper City.

Surveillance video shows a man, who was wearing a baseball cap and carrying a messenger bag, walk up to the ATM at 5504 S. Flamingo Road just after 9 a.m. Saturday and place a 2-inch long device on the machine.

Around 11 a.m. a customer noticed a grey, plastic card slot piece was sticking out of the machine, revealing double-sided tape holding it on.

Bank officials shut down the ATM and called a technician to investigate the incident.

Anyone with information about the man’s identity is asked to contact Detective Glenn Gainey at 954-435-2200 or report anonymous tips to Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

A former Broward Sheriff's deputy convicted of vehicular homicide was sentenced to more than nine years in prison on Thursday.

Frank McCurrie was found guilty of vehicular homicide and two counts of reckless driving in April.

Investigators said McCurrie's squad car hit a black Honda in Oakland Park on Jan. 23, 2010, killing 14-year-old Cara Catlin.

McCurrie addressed the court during his sentencing, saying he was 8 years old when he decided that he wanted to be a cop after seeing a tragic accident.

"It was that day that I made a conscious decision that I would protect and serve to help prevent incidents like this from occurring," McCurrie said.

McCurrie also addressed Cara's family directly.

"I will tell you that it was not my intent by any means to hurt your daughter," he said. "I can only pray and hope one day you all will forgive me and have compassion on me."

Detectives said McCurrie was driving his car at more than twice the legal speed limit at the time of the crash on North Dixie Highway and Northeast 56th Street in Oakland Park. Cara was ejected from the car and died.

A witness told police that he saw McCurrie run toward the crash site holding his right arm. He said McCurrie's patrol car did not have sirens or flashing lights activated.

McCurrie, who has a son and an adopted daughter, said he understand the pain and agony the family feels, and won't forget the night of the crash.

"I remember the echoing words, 'Can you hear me? Hold on. Help is coming.' And then our eyes connected," he said.

Detectives said McCurrie was an employee of BSO for just over a year and was still in his probationary period with the agency.

He was fired from the department after the crash.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

More than six dozen South Florida residents have been charged in what state and federal authorities are calling the largest national health care fraud takedown in U.S. history.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi joined the FBI and other federal agencies in announcing charges against 73 individuals Thursday in Miami.

Authorities claim the suspects took part in various schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid out of more than $262 million.

The charges in South Florida are part of a nationwide takedown in 17 cities that resulted in charges against 243 people involving about $712 million in false billings.

Among those charged nationally are more than 46 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals.

"We have doctors, therapists, nurses, clinic owners, pharmacy owners, employees of these businesses, money launderers and patient recruiters," Miami U.S. attorney Wifredo Ferrer said.

Bondi said the coordinated takedown is the largest in strike force history.

"When you charge for a medical procedure you never performed, for something a patient never needed or asked for, and steal millions from our taxpayers, we are coming after you," Bondi said. Bondi's office investigated two Miami Lakes residents for submitting false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.

Odette Sanchez, 37, and Roque X. Garcia, 62, face charges of conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and wire fraud and three counts of substantive health care fraud.

Sanchez was the former owner of Limited Home Health Care Inc., while Garcia was the former director of nursing for the company.

"Each and every one of us who pays taxes is a victim of this crime," Ferrer said.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

A Miami-Dade police detective was indicted Thursday on charges of using his law enforcement authority to violate motorists' civil rights.

According to the indictment, William Kostopoulos, 47, made three traffic stops so he could steal the drivers' money and other property.

The indictment also charges Kostopoulos with making misleading statements to prevent authorities from finding out about the alleged crimes.

Miami-Dade police Sgt. John Barrow said Kostopoulos, a 17-year veteran, is on paid leave.

"To effectively carry out our sworn duty to protect the physical safety and the constitutionally granted rights of our residents, law enforcement officers need the trust and confidence of the community," Miami-Dade Police Director J.D. Patterson said in a statement. "Officers who violate the tenets of this profession negatively impact this necessary bond between the public and the police and make the jobs of the honorable and professional officers more difficult."

The case is being investigated by the FBI with the help of the Homestead Police Department.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a Broward County judge be removed from the bench for misconduct before she wore a robe.

Florida's high court accepted as "the appropriate sanction" a recommendation by the state Judicial Qualifications Commission to remove Judge Laura Watson.

"Her removal today is unrelated to her conduct as a judge. It's only related to her conduct as a private attorney," Chief Judge Peter Weinstein said.

The 16-page decision said Watson violated Florida rules of professional conduct while she was an attorney involved in an insurance litigation involving Progressive, Gold Coast Orthopedics and her personal injury protection clients.

Watson was accused of secretly negotiating a settlement with Progressive that paid her firm $3 million and improperly cut out fellow lawyers and shortchanged her clients, who received a total of just $360,000.

READ: Florida Supreme Court ruling on Judge Laura Watson

In the JQC's determination, Watson "unilaterally decided that those clients had no interest in the bad faith case and that they had no duty to pay or include unknown people who may or may not someday have a claim."

RELATED: Florida Supreme Court rejects punishment for Broward County judge convicted of DUI

Additionally, the JQC concluded that Watson "entered into an undisclosed side deal with Gold Coast, contrary to the interests of the other bad faith claimants" and further concluded that Watson "failed to disclose material information to her clients, including the conflicts of interest and the methodology of allocating funds between the PIP and bad faith claims that substantially decreased the funds available for distribution to the clients."

Based on its findings, the JQC determined that Watson "sold out her clients, her co-counsel and ultimately herself. This conduct is 'fundamentally inconsistent with the responsibilities of judicial office' and mandates removal."

Watson fought the JQC's findings.

RELATED: Broward County judge says she was 'sleep driving' before DUI arrest

Larry Stewart, an attorney who was involved in the litigation, testified before the JQC that "Watson never objected or corrected any of the agreements or understandings reached" at any of the meetings held with the PIP attorneys.

"Stewart's interpretation of the meetings is bolstered in particular by one email from Watson wherein she congratulated Stewart on getting the favorable discovery ruling and stated, 'We need to keep our foot on their throat and not let them lose (sic),'" the decision stated.

The judge's argument that she wasn't involved or didn't have any knowledge of any agreement with Stewart's firm "is not a reasonable inference from this record," the decision said.

"Watson's primary contention that the PIP attorneys never contracted with Larry Stewart's firm is belied by her email correspondence with him and her admission that he won favorable rulings in the Gold Coast case," the decision said.

The high court concluded that Watson's "conduct is fundamentally inconsistent with the responsibilities of judicial office."

Watson's actions "cast serious doubts" on her "ability to be perceived as truthful by those who may appear before her in her courtroom," the decision said.

Nobody answered the telephone at numbers listed for Watson and administrative Judge Arthur Birken.

Watson was elected to the Broward County circuit court in November 2012 and took office in January 2013.

Weinstein said the process for the Judicial Nominations Commission to replace Watson is expected to take several months.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Church leaders throughout South Florida say they are deeply saddened by Wednesday's mass shooting at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, and are finding a way to minister to their congregations.

Local 10 News spoke to members of the New Birth Baptist Church, which has a large congregation in the South Florida area.

The church also runs the radio station WMBM 1490 AM. The church held a prayer request line Thursday morning, as it does every day, but said they are expecting a number of calls to be from those who wanted to pray for the Charleston victims.

"It was heartbreaking because people feel when you go to church, you are going to a place of peace and serenity and surrounded by people that love you," said Rev. C.J. Kelly. "To be in church and to be harmed by someone sitting next to you in a worship service or prayer meeting, it's just so heartbreaking."

The church is encouraging people who reach out to them for spiritual guidance to continue with prayer.

They also said there is a clear need for more security around churches and facilities that provide spiritual guidance to others.

Charleston church shooting suspect Dylann Roof, who was arrested in North Carolina, waived extradition to South Carolina during his first appearance in court Thursday, a court official told CNN.

Roof, 21, of Lexington, South Carolina, was arrested about 245 miles away from the scene of the shooting at the historic Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Also on Thursday, Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten provided details and names of those who were killed. They were Cynthia Hurd, 54; Suzy Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; the Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; the Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; the Rev. Sharonda Singleton, 45; and Myra Thompson, 59.

They were all killed by gunshots, she said.

Roof was taken into custody without incident about 11:15 a.m. during a traffic stop, Charleston police Chief Greg Mullen said Thursday morning. He said local police were acting on a BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) notice that included a vehicle description, the license tag and the suspect's name.

He was armed with a gun when he was arrested, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. It's not clear if it's the same firearm used in the shooting.

A senior law enforcement source told CNN the suspect's father had recently bought him a .45-caliber gun for his 21st birthday in April.

President Barack Obama mourned the violence and the victims, saying, "Any death of this sort is a tragedy. Any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy. There is something particularly heartbreaking about death happening in a place in which we seek solace, we seek peace."

Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of Pinckney, said she heard about what happened inside the church from survivors, according to CNN affiliate WIS.

Johnson said survivors recounted the man coming into the church, asking for Pinckney and sitting next to him during a prayer meeting for an hour. He started shooting and reloaded five times, she said.

When a man pleaded with him to stop, the shooter replied, "You rape our women and you're taking over our country. And you have to go," she said.

A law enforcement official says witnesses told authorities the gunman stood up and said he was there "to shoot black people."

Police were searching for more information about Roof (whose last name is rhymes with "cough"), and trying to determine if he had any links to hate groups.

Authorities released a mug shot of him from Lexington County Thursday. It was taken after a trespassing arrest in April. According to an arrest warrant from a February incident, Roof had an unlabeled pill bottle with a drug believed to be suboxone, which is used to treat opiate addiction. Roof told police a friend gave him drugs. The status of the cases is unclear.

In an image tweeted by the Berkeley County, South Carolina, government, Roof is wearing a jacket with what appear to be the flags of apartheid-era South Africa and nearby Rhodesia, a former British colony that was ruled by a white minority until it became independent in 1980 and changed its name to Zimbabwe.

Three people survived the shooting, including a woman who received a chilling message from the shooter.

"Her life was spared, and (she was) told, 'I'm not going to kill you, I'm going to spare you, so you can tell them what happened,' " Charleston NAACP President Dot Scott told CNN. She said she heard this from the victim's family members.

Federal authorities have opened a hate crime investigation into the shooting at the oldest AME church in the South, the Department of Justice said.

"The only reason someone would walk into a church and shoot people that were praying is hate," Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said.

There were 13 people inside the church when the shooting happened -- the nine people who were killed and three survivors, South Carolina state Sen. Larry Grooms, who was briefed by law enforcement, told CNN. Two of the survivors were not harmed, he said.

It was not clear if the man targeted any individual.

"We don't know if anybody was targeted other than the church itself," Mullen said.

Historic significance

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church has been a presence in Charleston since 1816, when African-American members of Charleston's Methodist Episcopal Church formed their own congregation after a dispute over burial grounds. Known as "Mother Emanuel," it's been the headquarters for civil rights activity over the decades.

It was burned to the ground at one point but was rebuilt. Throughout its history, it overcame obstacle after obstacle -- destroyed by an earthquake, banned by the state. But its church members persevered, making it the largest African-American church in terms of seating space in Charleston today.

A call for healing

Authorities said they were shocked not only by the killings but that the violence occurred in a house of worship.

"People in prayer Wednesday evening. A ritual, a coming together, praying, worshiping God. An awful person to come in and shoot them is inexplicable," Mayor Riley said.

The killing put the nation's spotlight once again on the Charleston region. Several months ago, Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, was fatally shot in the back by a North Charleston police officer, a killing that was captured on video.

Pinckney backed a bill to make body cameras mandatory for all police officers in South Carolina.

"Body cameras help to record what happens. It may not be the golden ticket, the golden egg, the end-all-fix-all, but it helps to paint a picture of what happens during a police stop," Pinckney said in April.

Riley, who's seen Charleston go through ups and downs during his 40 years as mayor, said the city must immediately start the healing process. A community prayer meeting will be held Friday at the College of Charleston, not far from the church, he said.

"We are going to put our arms around that church and that church family."

Mourning started quickly. A prayer vigil was held at midday Thursday in Charleston. On Capitol Hill, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, organized a vigil.

Dot Scott, the Charleston NAACP leader, said family and friends of the victims gathered at the Embassy Suites hotel near the church after the shooting. The city set up a victims' assistance center there.

"There were at least 50 or more people there," she said. "There were families of the victims, grandchildren, council members and a bunch of people there."

Scott said that's where she heard about the shooter sparing the woman in the church.

"I did not hear this verbatim from the almost victim, I heard it from at least half a dozen other folks that were there and family of the victims," she said. "There seems to be no question that this is what the shooter said."

'Sick to our stomachs'

The church sits in an area of Charleston densely packed with houses of worship and well-preserved old buildings. The streets of the neighborhood are normally filled with tourists.

Charleston, as several church leaders pointed out, is known as the "Holy City" because of its numerous churches and tolerant attitude toward different denominations.

"Like everybody out here, we're sick to our stomachs that this could happen in a church," said Rep. Dave Mack, a friend of the church's pastor.

They called for justice, but also for calm. Theirs is a strong community, they said, and this incident wouldn't tear them apart.

The president of the NAACP expressed his outrage over the shooting.

"There is no greater coward than a criminal who enters a house of God and slaughters innocent people engaged in the study of scripture," Cornell William Brooks said.

Republican presidential candidates canceled campaign events in South Carolina. Jeb Bush canceled a scheduled town hall in Charleston on Thursday.

"As the #Charleston police deem this horrific act a hate crime," the King Center tweeted, "we pray vigorously that this person's hate does not cultivate more hate."

Police are investigating after a bicyclist fell off his bike and was run over by a bus Thursday at about 3:55 p.m.

According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, a private bus that had a bus aide and several children on board was traveling south on Southwest 187th Avenue behind a bicyclist.

Police said the bus attempted to go around the cyclist on the left side and the person on the bike fell off, landing under the bus.

The bicyclist was run over by the bus' rear tires, police said.

Police said the bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Shelly Pittleman is trying to raise $10,000 to put a new carpet at the intake center at the Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options center (JAFCO).

A man accused of stealing expensive equipment from a Deerfield Beach elementary school last month was arrested by the Broward Sheriff's Office last week.

Deputies said Solomon Shiver, 18, trespassed on Deerfield Park Elementary School twice.

According to detectives, surveillance video captured Shiver rolling a $23,000 video conferencing system off school property on May 26. Ten laptops were also stolen, and deputies believe that those items were on the bottom of the cart.

RELATED: Ex-student accused of vandalizing Hollywood high school

Video from the previous day showed the same man walking around the school and entering the computer lab.

Deputies said Shiver used a jacket to hide his face when he returned to the school.

An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers led to Shiver's arrest on June 14.

Shiver faces charges of grand theft and burglary.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10