Pastor, track coach, recent graduate among Charleston church shooting victims

WLS logo
Thursday, June 18, 2015
The desk of state Sen. Clementa Pinckney is draped in black cloth with a single rose and vase, Thursday, June 18, 2015, at the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C.
AP | Emanuel AME Church

Nine people were killed Wednesday night when a gunman opened fire during a bible study at Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.

Rev. Clementa Pinckney

Emanuel AME Church

The Rev. Clementa Pinckney served as both the pastor at Emanuel AME Church and as a member of the South Carolina State Senate. Pinckney, 41, became a pastor at age 18 and joined the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1996 before moving to the Senate in 2000. He and his wife Jennifer had two children, Eliana and Malana.

Rev. Sharonda Singleton

The Rev. Sharonda Singleton was also a pastor at the church, as well as a speech language pathologist and the head coach of the girls' track and field team at Goose Creek High School.

Myra Thompson

Myra Thompson's daughter Denise Quarles confirmed that her mother was killed at the church.

Tywanza Sanders

Tywanza Sanders was a graduate of Allen University, a historically Black college in Columbia, S.C.

"He was a quiet, well-known student who was committed to his education," according to a statement from Allen University obtained by ABC News.

Ethel Lee Lance

Ethel Lee Lance was a sexton at the church and had worked there for more than 30 years.

"Granny was the heart of the family," her grandson Jon Quil Lance told The Post and Courier.

Cynthia Hurd

Charleston County Public Library

Cynthia Hurd was a 31-year employee of the Charleston County Public Library, and served as the St. Andrews regional manager. Hurd "dedicated her life to serving and improving the lives of others," the library stated in a post to its Facebook page.

Rev. Daniel L. Simmons

ABC News

The Rev. Daniel L. Simmons was a retired pastor from another church in Charleston who attended Emanuel AME Church for Sunday services and bible study, according to his daughter-in-law, Arcelia Simmons of Newport News, Va. He died at an area hospital following the shooting.

DePayne Middleton

The Rev. DePayne Middleton, 49, also died in the shooting.

Susie Jackson

Eighty-seven-year-old Susie Jackson was the oldest victim.

The alleged gunman in the shooting, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, was arrested late Thursday morning in Shelby, N.C., 250 mile north of Charleston.

PHOTOS: Charleston church shooting

ABC News contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.