Source: Joe Raedle / Getty
Of the 9 lives that were lost when a gunman opened fire inside a historical black church in Charleston, SC at least two died on the scene. One of the victims was a longtime librarian looking forward to retirement and another had recently graduated from college with a business degree.
A closer look at some of the nine lives that were cut short:
CLEMENTA PINCKNEY
41 year old Clementa Pinckney, was the beloved pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and had been a state legislator for 19 years. Just one year after graduating from Allen University in 1995, at 21 years old Pinckney became, the youngest African-American elected to the South Carolina Legislature.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
SHARONDA COLEMAN-SINGLETON
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.
ETHEL LANCE
70 year old Ethel Lance, was a Charleston native who had been a member of the church for most of her life. She retired after working for more than 30 years on the housekeeping staff at the city’s Gaillard Auditorium.
Ethel had served as a sexton at the church for the last five years, helping to keep the historic building clean. Lance had five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
SUSIE JACKSON
The eldest of the victims Susie Jackson, 87, was a longtime church member and sang in the choir. She and Ethel Lance were cousins.
CYNTHIA HURD
54 year old Hurd, was the manager of one of the busiest branches of the Charleston County library system. In her honor, the system closed all 16 of its branches Thursday, the day after her death.
Her brother Malcom Graham, a former state senator from North Carolina said Cynthia grew up in Charleston, and her mother made sure they went Emanuel AME Church on Sundays, Wednesdays and any other time it was open.
She was also looking toward retirement after 31 years of library work. Her 55th birthday is on Sunday
DEPAYNE MIDDLETON DOCTOR
DePayne Middleton-Doctor a 49-year-old mother of four daughters, just started her job as an enrollment counselor at the university in December. Middleton-Doctor just wanted to be in a position to help people so it was no surprise when she decided to become a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Before that, Middleton-Doctor had been employed for several years by Charleston County, where she helped administer grants aimed at helping the county’s poorest residents with problems they couldn’t otherwise afford to fix such as repairing roofs or septic tanks.
TYWANZA SANDERS
26 year old Tywanza Sanders, graduated last year from Allen University, where he studied business.
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