Friends say Tywanza Sanders died trying to save a
life, and he was always "there for everybody"
The Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a state senator, first heard
the call to preach at age 13
Sharonda Singleton's son remembers her as someone
who "loved everybody"
(CNN)— They gathered at the Emanuel African Methodist
Episcopal Church to study the Bible -- a small group, 13
people. Many were familiar faces. One was a stranger.
But it was unfathomable that this stranger was a killer
lying in wait, a man who would kill nine churchgoers and
church leaders in cold blood.
Police say Dylann Roof went to the church in Charleston,
South Carolina, two hours from his home, and shot dead
the pastor, other ministers and people who had come
Wednesday to learn more about the Word of God.
Here's what we know about the deceased:
Pastor approached life with purpose
The Rev. Clementa Pinckney died Wednesday doing the
work he had always felt was right for him.
He was spreading the Word when he and eight others
were gunned down in the massacre.
Pinckney, 41, answered the call to preach nearly 30 years
ago, at the age of 13, according to a biography on the
church website .
He was a high achiever all his life. He was first appointed
a pastor when he was 18. He graduated from Allen
University magna cum laude and was president of the
student body at the Columbia, South Carolina, school.
Back then, Ebony magazine even featured him as one of
its "Top College Students in America."
In 1996, at 23, he was elected to the South Carolina
House of Representatives, the youngest black person
ever to win such a seat.
Four years later, voters elevated him to the state Senate.
Pinckney became even more influential through his work
as a legislator, pushing several causes -- like recently
advocating for legislation to make police wear body
cameras, believing it would protect lives, according to
his cousin, state Sen. Kent Williams.
Washington Post columnist David Broder called him a
"political spirit lifter for surprisingly not becoming cynical
about politics."
U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, a former governor of South
Carolina, was among those who paid tribute Thursday.
"He was a remarkable human being," Sanford told CNN's
"New Day." "He had a gravelly, deep voice -- a radio
announcer's voice, if you will -- and he approached life
with that same level of gravitas."
Williams called Pinckney "a man of character." "He was a
God-fearing man. He was a family man."
Williams added, "He had a passion for helping the poor,
for helping to improve the quality of life for all mankind.
But especially those who are the least among us."
Pinckney left behind a wife, Jennifer, and two children,
Eliana and Malana.
Member of Emanuel staff, longtime AME pastor
Like Pinckney, the Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr. was on the
staff at Emanuel and regularly attended the Wednesday
night Bible study sessions.
The 74-year-old survived the initial shooting at the
church, but he died during surgery.
Earlier in his career, Simmons served at Greater Zion
AME Church in Awendaw, just northeast of Charleston.
Library worker 'dedicated her life' to improving those of
others
Cynthia Hurd loved God, her family, books and her
community, her brother Malcolm Graham told CNN.
He described her as the matriarch of the family and the
glue that kept them together.
She was baptized in the church and went there her
whole life. Her late mother sang in the choir.
So it was no surprise she would attend a weeknight Bible
study.
Hurd's loss is "incomprehensible" to the Charleston
County Public Library, where she worked.
In a statement, the library said she was much more than
an employee. Hurd "dedicated her life to serving and
improving the lives of others."
All 16 branches of the library were closed Thursday in
honor of Hurd, 54, who was manager of the St. Andrews
Regional Library. That branch will be renamed in her
honor.
"We ask for prayers for her family, her co-workers, her
church and this entire community as we come together
to face this tragic loss," the library statement said.
Hurd had worked for the library -- "helping residents,
making sure they had every opportunity for an education
and personal growth" -- for 31 years, the statement said.
Her husband, Steve, was working as a longshoreman in
Saudi Arabia, and the family is trying to get him home.
Hurd also had four older brothers, including Graham, and
a younger sister.
Speech therapist, reverend was also among victims
Sharonda Singleton was living what would appear to be a
full and busy life.
She was a speech therapist and track coach at Goose
Creek High School about 20 miles north of Charleston,
having been a track and field athlete when she attended
South Carolina State University in Orangeburg.
She was also a reverend at Emanuel AME Church, and
she was a member of a sporting family.
She was married to Christopher Singleton, who played
football at Tennessee State University. And her son,
Chris, who was born in 1995, plays baseball for
Charleston Southern University.
Before fighting off tears as he hugged his teammates,
Chris Singleton described his mother as "a God-fearing
woman (who) loved everybody with all her heart."
"Love is always stronger than hate," he told reporters.
"So if we just loved the way my mom would, then the
hate won't be anywhere close to what it is."
Myra Thompson, Bible study teacher
Myra Thompson, 59, also died in the shooting, said
Bishop Alphonza Gadsden, who was notified by the
victim's family. Gadsden had known Thompson for a
decade.
"She was a person who loved the Lord. Her every
objective was to please Him in all that she did. She was
teaching Bible study when she was killed," she said
Tywanza Sanders: a young man who 'made you smile'
Tywanza Sanders' profile picture on Facebook is a selfie
showing a young man with a winning smile and a
sideways cap.
Not only did he smile a lot, he made his friends happy.
"If you met him, you knew you had a good friend on
your side, regardless of anything," T.J. Grant told CNN.
"He made you smile even when you didn't want to
smile."
His friend was very loving, especially of his family, Grant
said. Sanders spoke of his mother often and went to see
her all the time.
The 26-year-old died trying to save his aunt, Susie
Jackson, Grant and A.J. Harley said they were told.
"It's just like Tywanza," Hartley, one of his best friends,
told CNN. "He's always been there for everybody,
especially to protect a family member. ... So it was good
to hear ... that he didn't die in vain."
Sanders was a quiet yet well-known student known for
his warm and helpful spirit, according to a statement
from Allen University, from which he graduated in 2014
from its Division of Business Administration. His friends
have renamed a scholarship at their James Island high
school in his honor because "that's what he was all
about ... being educated, stimulating yourself, growing
intellectually," Hartley said.
Sanders' engagement in his community, and his sense of
self, were also evident in his social media posts --
including some from just hours before the shooting.
That includes a Facebook post, around 6 p.m. ET
Wednesday, featured a video and the words, "Ever notice
how the mainstream media treats black protesters &
white rioters differently?"
That same day, he put up this quote from baseball
groundbreaker Jackie Robinson: "A life is not important
except in the impact it has on other lives."
This was a young man seemingly intent on going places.
His cover photo on Facebook -- the banner photo that
spreads behind the profile picture and tops the page --
featured only words in light letters set against a dark
background.
They said simply: "Your dreams are calling you."
University employee was 'a warm and enthusiastic
leader'
The Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49, worked as an
admissions coordinator at Southern Wesleyan
University's Charleston learning center.
"Always a warm and enthusiastic leader, DePayne truly
believed in the mission of SWU to help students achieve
their potential by connecting faith with learning,"
university President Todd Voss said.
Middleton-Doctor had just started working at the
Christian college's learning center in December.
She received her Master's degree in management from
the school in 1994 after doing her undergraduate work in
biology and life sciences at Columbia College. She was
an experienced grant writer and was a consultant for
school districts before joining Southern Wesleyan, the
school said.
She had four daughters, friends told CNN.
She still sang in the choir
Susie Jackson, 87, was a longtime member of the
historic Charleston church, her grandson told CNN
affiliate WEWS in Cleveland. Tim Jackson remembered
his grandmother as a "very helpful person."
She was a choir member and also was on the usher
board of the church, where she had been a member for
many years.
Susie Jackson was a very loving, giving person with a
great smile, her grandson told the station.
Beloved former employee was enjoying retirement
Even before her death, Ethel Lance's former co-workers
missed her dearly.
The 70-year-old had retired in 2002, but she left her mark
at the Gaillard Auditorium. She ruled the auditorium's
backstage for 34 years, said Cam Patterson, Charleston's
director of special facilities.
"Nobody dared try to move into her territory. That was
her pride and joy," Patterson said.
Lance was a wonderful employee and person, Patterson
said.

Rest in peace
www.

Eeya, Rip

But is there a mathematical progression or factor of how people must die, cus everybody must die but how we don't know

Eledumare, iku ire ni mo fe o