Shooting victims included librarian and recent college grad
Shooting victims included librarian and recent college grad
A closer look at some of the nine lives that were cut short by the gunman who opened fire in a black church in downtown Charleston:
Clementa Pinckney, 41, was the beloved pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the country's oldest black churches, and had been a state legislator for 19 years.
Just one year after graduating from Allen University in 1995, Pinckney became, at 23, the youngest African-American elected to the South Carolina Legislature.
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45, was a part-time minister at Emanuel AME Church and worked as a speech pathologist at Goose Creek High School, where she was also the girls track coach.
The mother of three had run track herself as a student at South Carolina State University, helping lead her team to a conference championship.
Susie Jackson, who was fond of playing slot machines, was scheduled to go on a church-sponsored bus trip to Chicago on Sunday and was looking forward to going to the top of the Willis Tower, said Jean Jackson, an associate member of the church.
Susie Jackson's niece, Cynthia Taylor, told The Associated Press that she spoke with one of the women who survived the shooting at the church, whom she identified as Felecia Sanders.
Simmons, 74, was a retired minister who served for 30 years at the Olive Branch African Methodist Episcopal Church; The Friendship AME, and St. Luke's AME.
Simmons was an avid fan of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, according to grandson and namesake Daniel Simmons III.
The library issued a statement remembering Hurd as "a tireless servant of the community who spent her life helping residents, making sure they had every opportunity for an education and personal growth."
In January, after much thought and prayer, she decided to return to her childhood roots and attend the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
In a news release, the school described Sanders as "a quiet, well-known student" with "a warm and helpful spirit."
Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Charleston; Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida; and Michael Biesecker in Durham, North Carolina, contributed to this report.