'This Week' Transcript: Tragedy in Charleston

Sen. Rick Santorum also joins the program

ByABC News
June 21, 2015, 10:17 AM

— -- This is a rush transcript

ABC THIS WEEK

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Starting right now on ABC's THIS WEEK, tragedy in Charleston -- new this morning, prayer and hope -- the Emanuel AME Church opening for the first time since the rampage. Brand new exclusive interviews with the families about what comes next.

GOP drama -- Jeb Bush jumps in.

Can he separate from the 2016 pack?

And Donald Trump, a serious candidate or a sideshow?

Plus, on this Father's Day, honoring a hero dad -- the inspiration behind the ice bucket challenge on his brand new mission.

From ABC News, a special edition of THIS WEEK, reporting now from Charleston, South Carolina, Martha Raddatz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARTHA RADDATZ, HOST: Good morning from here in Charleston, known as the holy city for all its churches. It's the first Sunday since the tragedy at the Emanuel Church. This morning, take a look at the worshippers gathering for the first time since Wednesday night's massacre -- healing and hoping that the future will bring some kind of peace.

And the entire Charleston community is uniting this morning as houses of prayer throughout this wounded city.

In a few moments, we will bring you new interviews with the families of those who were killed, telling their powerful and moving stories.

This morning, we'll also explore those big question about race, about hate, about that Confederate flag still flying near the state capital. So many in this community and across the country saying it is time to take it down.

But first, we're learning chilling new details this morning about that accused mass murderer.

Steve Osunsami has been here all week long and joins me now with that part of the story -- good morning, Steve.

STEVE OSUNSAMI, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Martha.

Police are telling us that this accused gunman is cooperating with their investigation. But I want to also show you the photo that's on the front page of the local paper here -- nine sweet grass roses remembering the nine people who were killed outside this church.

Over the past few days, we've seen hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, come to this church laying candles and flowers all with one message -- that Charleston and this country is better than this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OSUNSAMI (voice-over): In the words of one of the victim's families struggling with the murders here, hate won't win. The faithful are holding their Sunday services just three days after their church was a crime scene.

The alleged gunman, who police say meant to kill Black people, is seen in photos posted on a Web site updated just an hour before the killings. Federal and state authorities are trying to determine if 21-year-old Dylann Roof wrote this manifesto, saying that the Trayvon Martin case made him angry, that African-Americans are the biggest problem that America faces, and that South Carolina has no skinheads, no real KKK, well, someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me."

Chris Scriven says he never thought Root was racist, but admits he may have missed a sign when he says Roof joked about shooting up a Charleston college.

CHRIS SCRIVEN, FRIEND OF DYLANN ROOT: I don't even think the church was his primary target, because he went -- he told us he was going for the school. But I think he couldn't get into that school because of the security and all that.