UPDATE: June 19, 2015, 3:39 PM EDT
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Representatives of the families of the nine victims of a fatal shooting at a black church in Charleston addressed shooting suspect Dylann Roof in court ahead of a bond hearing Friday. Roof appeared via video link and seemed to show no emotion as family members spoke, showing their anger, sadness and even forgiveness.
Roof could hear the family members talking but wasn’t able to see them — a fixed camera is trained only on the judge for the hearing.
Felecia Sanders , mother of Tywanza Sanders:
“We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms. You have killed some of the most beautifulest people that I know. Every fiber in my body hurts … and I’ll never be the same.”
“Tywanza Sanders was my son, but Tywanza was my hero. Tywanza was my hero. But as we said in Bible study, we enjoyed you but may God have mercy on you.”
___
Bethane Middleton-Brown, representing family of the Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor:
“DePayne Doctor was my sister. And I just thank you on the behalf of my family for not allowing hate to win. For me, I’m a work in progress and I acknowledge that I’m very angry.”
“But one thing DePayne always joined in my family with is that she taught me we are the family that love built.”
“We have no room for hate. We have to forgive. I pray God on your soul. And I also thank God I won’t be around when your judgment day comes with him.”
___
Alana Simmons, granddaughter of Daniel Simmons:
“Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, this is proof — everyone’s plea for your soul is proof they lived in love and their legacies will live in love, so hate won’t win. And I just want to thank the court for making sure that hate doesn’t win.”
___
Anthony Thompson, representing family of Myra Thompson:
“I forgive you, my family forgives you. We would like you to take this opportunity to repent. Repent. Confess. Give your life to the one who matters the most, Christ, so he can change your ways no matter what happens to you and you’ll be OK. Do that and you’ll be better off than you are right now.”
___
Daughter of Ethel Lance:
“I forgive you. You took something really precious away from me. I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you and have mercy on your soul. It hurts me, it hurts a lot of people but God forgive you and I forgive you.”
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Love is stronger than hate.
What this man did was despicable and wicked, but I hope he has a very long time in prison to contemplate what he has wrought.
I started listening to some of the victims’ families statements but I couldn’t go on. Just too painful. Their ability to speak of forgiveness under these circumstances seems almost super-human.
These beautiful people have utterly defeated Roof with love. He thought he was going to start a civil war with his hatred but boy did he misjudge the content and the character of those he tried to start a war with. The hatred of racists like Roof is based on fiction. They have no idea who these people really are that they hate so much.
I don’t think anything could have hurt him more than these good people saying they forgive him.
Maybe he thought that black people would be in the streets protesting and could be denigrated by the media as the problem. He said he wanted to start a race war.
Boy did he get a surprise.
These are all far far better people than I. Bless them.