A woman prays outside Emanuel AME Church shortly after the attack. David Goldman/AP
Statement by Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden on the Shooting in Charleston, South Carolina
Hate
has once again been let loose in an American community. And the
senseless actions of a coward have once again cut short so many lives
with so much promise. Our hearts
ache with sorrow with the entire Emanuel AME Church family as they seek
solace and comfort in the shadow of a gunman’s act of pure evil and
hatred. Our love and prayers are with them.
We
last saw Reverend Clementa Pinckney less than a year ago at a prayer
breakfast in Columbia. He was a good man, a man of faith, a man of
service who carried forward Mother
Emaunel’s legacy as a sacred place promoting freedom, equality, and
justice for all. We pray for him and his sister as we do for the seven
other innocent souls who entered that storied church for their weekly
Bible study seeking nothing more than humble guidance
for the full lives ahead of them.
We
have no doubt the coward who committed this heinous act will be brought
to justice. But as a nation we must confront the ravages of gun
violence and the stain of hatred
that continues to be visited on our streets, in our schools, in our
houses of worship, and in our communities.
As
Mayor Riley made clear, all of Charleston’s heart bleeds today—but the
overwhelming display of unity will bring forth the city’s healing. We
will never forget those innocent
souls who lost their lives. We will be there with all the strength and
support and prayers we can offer to the families who now grieve. And as a
nation we will come together.
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