Big radio talkers react to church massacre

WASHINGTON – Glenn Beck is headed to Charleston.

Rush Limbaugh sought to avoid any rush to judgment about the motives of the mass murder in a historic black church.

Michael Savage wondered out loud if a violence-linked prescription drug the shooter had procured illegally was a factor in the massacre of nine.

The national town hall known as talk radio was dominated by discussion, opinions and sympathy for the victims of the mass church shooting in Charleston, apparently by 19-year-old Dylann Storm Roof.

Beck announced plans to travel to the community along with Alveda King, a civil rights and pro-life activist who is a niece of the late Martin Luther King.

Limbaugh concluded: “This is just pure, unadulterated evil, for whatever reason. It’s inexplicable to civilized people. It is just simply inexplicable.”

Savage had this to say to WND immediately after his program ended: “How can we know? Was he a crazed racist? A programmed killer set loose by the government? Was it the suboxone, a known violence-inducing drug he was likely on courtesy of the AMA (American Medical Association)? Is his father a nut? All we know is that nine decent Christians were slaughtered like chickens in their own church – not in Iraq, but in the USA. And right away we saw Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the pulpit, Obama decrying guns, while the band plays on, while his wife, daughters and mother-in-law enjoy shopping in Rome with Air Force One as their royal carriage.”

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"I know that the left and the drive-bys (media) are out now trying to hunt a tea party connection," added Limbaugh. "You know that's happening. You know they're turning over every rock, they're doing everything they can to try to find a way to link this in a way that would advance their political agenda. And all I'm saying is we're not gonna do that here in any way, shape, manner, or form. We're just gonna wait 'til whatever there is to be learned about this. His picture – he looks like a kid. So I'm just gonna wait. We all here at the EIB Network are going to wait."

Photographs of Roof were quickly produced showing him wearing pro-Apartheid gear and sporting a confederate flag on his license plate. The lone attack came after two years of racially charged violence in cities from Ferguson, Missouri, to Baltimore, Maryland. Fears were being expressed about new riots and retribution. Officials announced immediately the attack was being investigated as a "hate crime" – even before the suspect was arrested in the afternoon.

"It's just frustrating," added Limbaugh. "It's anger, all of the emotions, just why? Why in the world would somebody want to do this? You go into a church and you sit and pray with people for an hour and then you open up, you start firing? … Keep in mind, there are more people dead in this church in Charleston, South Carolina, than in the Boston bombing. I'm just trying to draw a comparison here. It's real terrorism, if you want to look at it. It was certainly terror for the people in that church. So needless to say our prayers and condolences are with everybody on this. But it's just another one of these inexplicable cultural moments that has us all saying, 'What is happening to our country?'"

Limbaugh said he expected many to try to politicize the tragedy with calls for gun control and other programs to empower government and limit individual rights.

"I am going to Charleston SC tomorrow," Beck posted on his Facebook page. "I don't have the details yet. But I want you to join me. Let us no longer hide our light under bushels. Let us be lamp stands!!!!! Let's gather tomorrow and show this community that they are loved. Something great begins in Charleston. It began last night after a few moments of evil, GOoD rushed in. Let us prop their arms up and pray together for this amazing community. Hopefully some details on radio today. We are working with WSC to help us. I want to be there tomorrow am and then gather sometime tomorrow afternoon. (Fri) Join me in body, mind or spirit. Spread the word."

See WND's extensive coverage of the Charleston, South Carolina, church massacre:

Was church shooter on powerful mind-altering drug?

Charleston shooter 'wanted to start a civil war'

Charleston church shooter: 'You rape our women'

Obama: America must 'do something' about 'gun violence

Hero of 1993 church attack calls for being armed

BIG LIST of drug-induced killers

Dylann Roof confesses: 'Everyone so nice' at church

'You hurt a lot of people, but I forgive you'

Lindsey Graham defends Confederate flag

Carolina courage in face of my cousin's murder

S.C. lawmaker blames 'birther' Fox News for church shootings