Stephen King has argued that people who oppose gun control laws have "closed minds".

The author of The Shining posted a series of tweets in the wake of the Charleston shooting. Dylann Roof is suspected to have killed nine people in an African-American church in South Carolina.

Friends of Roof, 21, said that he told them he wanted to "start a war" and the attack is believed to be racially motivated.

King is known for writing bestselling novels such as Carrie and Salem's Lot, but in 2013 he published an essay, Guns, which addressed the issue of gun control in the US.

In pictures: Charleston vigil Show all 6 1 /6 In pictures: Charleston vigil In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil Sunlight shines through a window and onto some of the thousands of people gathered for a city-sponsored prayer vigil for the nine victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil People attend a vigil at TD Arena for victims of the Charleston church shooting GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil A view of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil People attend a prayer vigil at the TD Aren GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil Family members of the nine victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting sit on the first five rows during a prayer vigil at the College of Charleston TD Arena GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil NBA Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (C) joins thousands of people for a prayer vigil for the nine victims GETTY

King - who is a gun owner himself - argued in Guns that he owned three weapons "with a clear conscience". He said at the time of publication: "I think the issue of an America awash in guns is one every citizen has to think about. If this helps provoke constructive debate, I've done my job."

He took to Twitter to argue that gun owners had an obligation to promote more stringent rules on firearm ownership.

Current US legislation on firearms states that anyone over the age of 18 is allowed to buy a rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer. Citizens have to be 21 or over before they can buy a handgun.