It’s incredibly heartbreaking on so many different levels the destruction that hatred can reap on people all over the world. It is senseless and disgusting that someone can commit such an atrocity in general, and even more confusing when someone can think to commit such a horror at a place of worship.
News of the Charleston church shooting flew across the nation and the world rapidly, starting from the crime itself, and every informational update since then. Perhaps the only good to take away from this entire situation (if any at all) is that in times of hardship, we truly see the real goodness of humans and human nature. People rallying all over the world to express their sympathies, members of law enforcement committed to finding out more information and bringing the responsible to justice.
As more and more news comes out about the Charleston church shooting, I understand that sometimes it is hard to keep up. Here is everything you need to know about what happened, where it happened, who it happened to, and why it happened.
The Crime
On Wednesday, June 18th at around 9 p.m., an unknown white male, later identified as Dylann Roof, opened fire on members of a Bible study group at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Eight died at the scene, a ninth died at the hospital.
According to Sylvia Johnson, the cousin to Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Dylann Roof was said to have entered the church, asking for the minister. After the Pinckney welcomed Roof in to the Bible study, Roof sat for about an hour through the rest of the Bible study before opening fire.
According to law enforcement that responded to the scene, witnesses told authorities that Roof stood up and said he was there to “shoot black people.” One woman pretended to be dead while her son begged to be spared, before being shot and killed. The woman lay in her son’s blood.
After allegedly reloading five times, the gunman told an elderly member of the congregation that “I'm not going to kill you, I'm going to spare you, so you can tell them what happened,” after asking if she had been shot.
The Victims
A total of six women and three men were killed, one being the church’s politically active pastor, Reverend Clementa Pinckney. According to CNN, “Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten identified the nine victims as follows: Cynthia Hurd, 54; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Hon. Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; Rev. Sharonda Singleton, 45; Myra Thompson, 59.”
Three people survived the shooting.
Tywanza Sanders, 26, begged with Roof to stop before being accused of rape and “taking over the country,” and then attempted to shield his aunt Susie Jackson from the bullets. Both were killed. His mother Felecia pretended to be dead, lying in her son’s blood.
Cynthia Hurd, 54, worked at the Charleston County Public Library, delighting herself with helping residents to read. Reverend Middleton-Doctor, 49, was an “enthusiastic leader” and coordinator at the Charleston learning center for Southern Wesleyan University. Ethel Lance, 70, was a city worker for 34 years, devoted to work backstage at the Galliard Auditorium. Reverend Singleton, 45, was a speech coach and track coach at Goose Creek High School. Myra Tompson, 59, was a Bible study teacher, dedicated to a life of God. Reverend Simmons Sr., 74, was a church staff member and former pastor.
Reverend Pinckney, 41, was the father of two girls and a working man of the black community.“He had this deep voice that everybody wished they had. When he spoke, he commanded your attention. He always had words of wisdom," cousin Kent Williams said.
The Suspect
Dylann Roof was apprehended the next morning (Thursday the 19th) in Shelby, NC. Shortly before 11 a.m., Debbie Dills tipped off the Shelby Police Department after following him for 35 miles, according to the Shelby Star.
At the time of arrest, he was armed with a gun, though it is unclear if it was the same .45 caliber handgun used at the scene of the crime.
A website discovered Saturday the 20th offers the first look in to Roof’s thinking, according to the NY Times. His racial rage initially spurred by a 2012 shooting, it is depicted on the website that Roof was indeed a white supremacist. There are both Confederate themed photos and what appears to be a “manifesto” calling for white superiority. The FBI are currently looking in to the authenticity of the website in relation to Dylann Roof.
The Healing
If Roof’s initial plan was to start a race war, so far he has not succeeded. In fact, Roof has been met with an amazing level of forgiveness in relation to the severity of his crimes.
Victim Ethel Lance’s daughter said, “You hurt a lot of people but God forgives you, and I forgive you.” Felecia Sanders, mother to Tywanza Sanders said in court, “We enjoyed you, but may God have mercy on you.”
Community prayer meetings have been held at the College of Charleston, and local churches and other congregations will be held to honor and support the church and its victims and families.
According to CNN affiliates, the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church will once again become a house of worship on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. or their first service following the shooting.
At 10 a.m. on Sunday, many churches plan to ring their church bells in honor of the victims and families affected. A Unity Chain is planned for Sunday night at the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
Arthur Hurd, merchant marine and husband to victim Cynthia Hurd arrived home Saturday, and said, "This is all surreal but what I can say to that young man is that in time I will forgive you. I won't move past this but I will forgive you. But I hope for the rest of your life, however long or short that may be, you stop and play that tape over and over and over again in your head and see the sheer terror and pain you put purely innocent people through. I would love to hate you but hate's not in me. If I hate you I'm no better than you."
People angry about the killings took to the streets Saturday.
"We are standing up together, arm in arm... We will not bow down, but we will stand up."
