we mourn today the tragic death of clementa pinckney. we also celebrated his exemplary spiritual life of service. this grieving passing will be rejoice for, because he is your child. he lives eternally where there is no violence, no pain, and no danger. rejoice that he now lives eternally in the land where every day is a day of unspeakable joy. bless us to remember him as the navigate -- as we navigate life's unpredictable pathways, for if we follow you, we will never walk alone. father in the extended families of the eight other souls to grapple with their grief with their refuge, and their strength. help them to remember, even when the visitors have slacked off and the calls become less frequent, you are still just a prayer away. bless those in the ame church and the broader faith to keep our spiritual arms around them so that we can be strength of consolation and assurance. -- can be instruments of consolation and insurance. so that we can change things for the better. bless our communities, state and world. we have come together in a

clementa pinckney walked the talk. jesus said, but seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and all these things shall be added on to you. he walked the talk. he said, a new commandment that i give unto you, that you love one another as i have loved you. love you one another. clementa pinckney walked the talk. jesus said, love god with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. he walked the talk. can y'all help me? if y'all help me i'll be through in just a moment. jesus said, love your enemy. >> he walked the talk. >> jesus said the spirit of the lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. he has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, to recover the sight to the blind and to preach the acceptable year of the lord. he -- >> walked the talk. >> i just want to ask all the preachers in the house right now in honor of our brother and friend, can you all just stand and join in saying with me, he walked the ta

clementa pinckney. i said i am chris vaughn and from that day forward we started to build a relationship. we hung out, we was tight. late one night, i told him let's go to ihop, get something to eat. on our way there, we are going to stop by usc and see some friends of mine. he said, ok, let's go. we went by and saw some friends and low and behold, jennifer benjamin was there. [laughter] as me and charlene brown sit up and talked together, we looked at each other and i said, is he going to ask her for her number? [laughter] i am like, come on. you're hanging with the upperclassman now, ask for her number. [laughter] finally, he asked for the number. after that, i said, that's my boy. that's my boy. [laughter] and the rest is history. [applause] before there was a house, before there was the senate, me and pinckney hung out together. he loved emmanuel ame church before all the capital improvements again. we talked about how he wanted to do things and put the elevator in and restore the house. we talked i

reverend clementa pinckney. at 1:45 eastern we will have coverage of that. more of your calls on today's same-sex marriage court ruling. harold is with us from new jersey. caller: truth does exist. clearly, the world could not have made itself. there is a creator. there is an almighty god who created heaven and earth from nothing. he wants to things from us besides the commandments. he wants us to love him, and he wants us to love our neighbor, including those who are different. god is love. god wants us to repent for the evil that we have done. initially, professor gruber from m.i.t. i understand he got $6 million for telling a bunch of lies. he should return that money. in the meantime, he should repent for what he has done. our president should say he is done for all the lies he told, including adjudicator doctor with obamacare. god is love. god loves all the people all over the world. but we have obviously must do -- we have the money. we have the power. we should lead in, for example health care -- not just

clementa pinckney. when i first looked at the program, i looked down and heard all of these speakers. i said to myself, why did they put all these preachers ahead of me? [laughter] my wife looked and said you are a deacon. i said i am baptist. these are a.m.e. but anyway, we are going to try to do what thus says the lord. i got consolation in them saying so many good things about him and what he meant to them. but then i started thinking. you know, they got clementa when he was right. we had him when he was wrong. [laughter] you see, we saw him grow into what he became. we love him dearly. we never will forget that beautiful smile he had. he got that smile from his mother. he got that heavy voice from his dad. as he was growing, i remember him as a little baby. his mother used to sing lullabies to him to put him to sleep. he did not cry much. he just looked around at his environment as if to say, who in who am i and where did i come from and who who are all these people? when he was a toddler lying on h

bearing the body of senator clementa pinckney, reverend clementa pinckney will eventually get to the steps of the statehouse. the senator is going to lie in repose, i said earlier lie in state, i want to correct that. these are special issues of technicality and this issue is that he will lie in repose in the second floor rotunda of the statehouse but this is the image. you can see law enforcement effectively clearing the way as the caisson makes its way throughout columbia, south carolina, throughout the streets. it came from the funeral home and the casket with the reverend, the senator, inside will be in the rotunda for the better part of this afternoon for those who want to come between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. it appeared earlier as the hearse follows there was also a line that had already possibly started to form outside and the department of parks and recreation and tourism, other law enforcement agencies have made advanced preparations to make sure the flow of traffic and the foot traffic of those who want to come to pay their respects to the senator in and out of the statehouse an

the line to view clementa pinckney's body stretched from the row tonneda to the streets. thousands waited for hours in the heat. >> i wanted to pay tribe ute for what he has done in the years. >> i represent the university of state carolina he was always interested in the wellbeing of the south carolina. >> this family affected the whole nation not just south carolina, i felt compelled to be here. >> it has been a clash point since dylann roof gunned done clementa pinckney and others inside emanuel's a.m.e. church. he has been photographed with the flag. the governor want it taken down. the state legislature is set to debate the issue this summer. on the republican floor on tuesday, the flag was said that it must go. >> i'm proud to take a stand and no longer we silent. i'm proud to be on the right side of the history recording the removal of this symbol of risism and big ol rit -- racism and bigotry from the state house. let us not stop there. justice by halves is not justice. >> the only woman in the state senate says she's struggling with the issue but agrees with firm

and in closing, don't worry about clementa pinckney. because he is in god's hands and if he could come back right now, and stand up here and tell you, he knew his history, it started from a slave man by the name of jack in merrin county, little place we call st. james, south carolina. a lot of you know it as something else, we know it as st. james. if he could come back here, he would tell you how the history is passed down and we believe in hard work and education and fairness. if he could come back here now, he would tell you these things but since he can't so i will tell you for him. he would tell you, we have seen too many victories to let defeat have the last word. i think i need to say it one more time. we have seen too many victories to let defeat have the last word. [applause] >> and the people of god will say amen. let us follow these instructions. i am between two rocks and two hard places. but most certainly, we want to respect the wishes of the family and jennifer, but we have waiting at this very moment to come in our prese

can you talk to us about who reverend and state senator clementa pinckney was? >> senator pinckney -- first of all, good morning, and thank you for giving us this opportunity. i, too, want to extend condolences from the naacp to the family of senator clementa pinckney. senator pinckney was a dynamic young man, very bright future, had made great strides in the faith community as well as the legislator and as a senator in the state of south carolina. had so much promise. this is a regrettable situation. nothing can be said to make this matter better -- consolation is very difficult at this time. amy: can you talk to us about what you understand took place? what was it, starting about 8:00 last night at this historic black church in charleston? >> the program they were having on wednesday night was taking place and this young man came in, a white male, and set for a few minutes. i don't know the exact time. the amount of time. and then, of course, we know what happened after that. several shots were fired. i think thus far there have been nine deaths in several peo

the church's pastor, 41 year old reverend clementa pinckney, a state senator. at the age of 23, he became the youngest african-american to be elected to the state legislature. he was elected to the state senate at 27. amy: sharonda coleman-singleton was a 45-year-old mother of three, reverend, and high school track coach. juan: cynthia hurd was a 54 year old librarian. she was the manager at st. andrews regional library since 2011. amy: daniel simmons was a 74-year-old ministry staff member at emanuel ame and the former pastor of greater zion ame church in the nearby town of awendaw. juan: myra thompson was the wife of the reverend anthony thompson of charleston's holy trinity rec church. amy: depayne middleton-doctor was a 49-year-old mother of four. juan: ethel lance was a 70 year old grandmother who had worked at emanuel ame for more than three decades. amy: susie jackson was ethel lance's cousin and the oldest victim of the massacre at the age of 87. she was a longtime member of the church. juan: tywanza sanders was the youngest victim at 26-years-old. he w

again, the the late reverend clementa pinckney. the guns were pointed in the direction of where the members slipped. just in case there was another insurrection, the state was ready. amy: this is so significant, reverend mk kelly tyler, the founding of the mother emanuel the church, in charleston with -- if you could talk about the killings of the scores of african-american men. >> absolutely. mother emanuel like the other ame churches, all of these congregations began in the late 1700s and early 1800s as a result of what became known as segregated pews. the methodist movement in america initially was very welcoming and open to african-american worshipers. it was not unusual to see enslaved people preaching to their slaveowners. it was an incredible experience. but sadly, they turned their back on their abolitionist roots and decided in order to keep and appease slaveholding methodist members who were very wealthy that they would allow blacks to become segregated in worship will stop as a result, these persons like richard allen an

ahead of the president's eulogy today people gathering to remember clementa pinckney. martin savidge is also there. >> the lines began forming long before the sun came up. this will be another emotional day in charleston. and for the president, it will be personal. i'll have more after this. if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. isn't it time to let the real you shine through? introducing otezla apremilast. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell

the pastor himself was in there, senator clementa pinckney. and now there's a black cloth over his seat it's draped obviously in respect to his passing. there were presidential candidates there. hillary clinton was there. jeb bush is going to come down. obviously they're going to cancel political events. this is when your fabric is being tested. who are you, what do you value? what do you do to those who attack what you value? >> it's time to give these families space. i'm glad their cancelled their political events. if there's an opportunity to go to a worship service, i think that would be appropriate if they want to go and support the skmunt community. one of the rays of hope and one of the few bright things you see in this you listen to the response of the community. you hear them talk -- and i've been listening and watching all morning. you've seen the senators colleagues the members of the church the leaders in the local naacp and the christian community and the other local pastors speaking and saying we're going to pray and provide love

clementa pinckney was the senior pastor. the president delivers the eulogy. >> this here is the day that the lord has made. let us rejoice. and be glad in it. our help come from the lord. bless us and we shall be blessed. keep us and we shall be kept by your power. it's god's amazing >> that we are able to be here at this hour. and for that, god, we say, thank you. if we did not have the lord on our site, where would we be. strengthen us for this day and for this very hour. the lord is my shepherd. i shall not want. he leads me beside the still waters. he leads me in the right path for his namesake. though i walk to the valley of the shadow of death, you come for me. service here today at the arena. for what we know, capacity for a normal event is about 5,100. with the added seats on the floor an additional hundred can be there. but thousands of people on the outside were turned away who wanted to be part of this service to pay their respects to clementa pinckney. what we heard from congressman clyburn this morning, wolf, in

i called him clementa. reverend pinckney was a little boy there. he helped us with the church school. he taught one of the small class. at age around 16 he aspierd to become a minister. when he became a senator, most of his legislation that he put forth was helping people bringing aids finance, and policy be where needed in the poverty community of this county. and so his record is one of such he's always been doing something for somebody. >> he has left an indelible mark on this community. he leaves behind a wife and two church. thank you, sir. appreciate your time. >> well, authorities are very guarded at this point about the level of detail that they are giving to the media at this point about the suspect in the charleston shooting. one thing they do seem clear on though at this point is that he was alone in his actions. take a listen. >> do you believe he acted alone? >> i do yes. we don't have any reason to believe there was anybody else involved. >> all right. so for more on the process of how authorities were able to capture the suspect i'm

it is to rename calhoun street to reverend clementa pinckney street. the indignity that our church has suffered so much as this one, the history of charleston has to have his address john c calhoun. amy: explain the significance. >> his one of the most important american figures in support of white supremacy. the quotes he has are just beyond understanding in america 2015, why anyone would honor a man like that. and i do know today i read online that some congressman are starting to look at the john c calhoun memorials in the capitol rotunda a something that needs to be discussed. amy: john c calhoun, the former u.s. vice president and u.s. senator, who said slavery is good. >> yes. he has a lot of quotes defending slavery and also he has quotes that basically say that this is a battle between the white race and the black race. 2015, that is not a man of honor. >> ♪ oh, my lord ♪ >> i am a pastor in the african and methodist episcopal church in gains for, florida. my hope is to get into the church today. i have been to two of the funerals today. my

next tuesday, however, is still many days after senator clementa pinckney, reverend clementa pinckney killed in charleston last week, after he is due to lie in state tomorrow at the capital. the reason i issue the issue of this specific statute that concerns ways that flags can be taken down at the capital and still stay within the letter of the law is it seems to me that it is -- forgive me, morally intolerable for him to lie in state beneath that flag. do you think that's a possible loophole that could solve that problem? >> you know, when i was on the state house grounds today, i noticed the flag looked a little peeked. some of the color was wearing off. i mentioned that to the governor and hope she will take it down. it is abhorrent that the flag will be at full mast when the u.s. flag and south carolina flag is at half mast, but that flag at full mast. if the stars and stripes are bowed why shouldn't the confederate flag be bowed or removed when clement lament is laying in state at the state house. >> do you think there would be a backlash if it was brought down for a few hours d

>> clementa pinckney was so studios and smart. he also through the ame church and the young people department led the group of young people in the ame church they grew up in the church. his demeanor was always helping people. it never changed. he even got older and met older folk and those related to this yes, sir, no sir, for the rights of others he had a mark on the area and the community and the state of south carolina. >> the authorities are calling this a hate crime. they believe this young man who went in there intended to do exactly this. has the church community receiving threats? is something here -- does this make sense to you in this community? >> reporter: this doesn't make sense. but this is a problem not just in south carolina. many people carry a gun, whether they are loving people but at some point the nation has to address this irn shoe of senseless violence especially when guns are involved. there's no way that in christians and believers in the faith can lock every church door. that would defeat the purpose of t

that is the desk of reverend clementa pinckney. he is related to armstrong williams who opened up tonight about the man south carolina loss last night. >> he had the baritone voice. clementa pinckney always knew he wanted to be a minister. he enjoyed being in the pulpit on sunday but also being at prayer meeting on wednesday night. reporter: a horrific scene unfolded last night. clementa pinckney, pastor of his people, was killed along with eight others. his cousin, our colleague armstrong williams heard the news late last night. >> i was in a state of confusion. the kid shows up and asked if this was clementa pinckney's church here it he said down for over an hour and then all the sudden he stood up and said "i'm here to kill everyone except one." and he just ended shooting. reporter: williams said that pinckney was the first person targeted. he was taken in an instant. >> clementa pinckney was somebody you never heard anyone gossip about. reporter: williams and his family now live to comfort pinckney's wife and two daughters. >>

. >> four were ministers including reverend clementa pinckney the pastor of emanuel ame and respected state senator. >> what you're see is a 21-year-old suspect. his friends saying he had a deep hatred of black people flown back to south carolina. dylann roof is his name on suicide watch hours away from facing a judge. his own uncle saying he is unable to forgive his nephew. if he gets the death penalty he'd like to push the button himself. >> video from inside the church. the shooter sitting with the bible study group just moments before opening fire. it was posted online by one of the victims just before he was killed. we have live team coverage this morning with lana zak standing by with reaction and begin with abc's kenneth moton live in charleston. kenneth, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, reena and t.j. that 21-year-old suspect dylann roof will wake up in the local jail this morning as you mentioned under suicide watch. the church he's accused of terrorizing has now become a place of vigil. a memorial of flowers, balloons and candles outside emanuel ame church. pr

nine people are dead among them state senator clementa pinckney. charleston police have just released photos of a suspect. he's described as a white male in his early 20s with a slender build and sandy brown hair. driving a black four-door sedan. authorities believe the incident was a hate crime. >> what we need right now is we need everybody to come together and pray for these families and we need them to come together and find this person so nobody else is hurt. >>> the fcc is slapping at&t with a $100 million fine. the reason? allegedly misleading customers on unlimited data plans. and slowing down data speeds. at&t disputes the claims, it says it notified customers through bills, texts and online. >>> in chicago, a near-disaster on a tarmac two planes on a collision course as the faa investigates. nbc's tom costello has the story. >>> it happened at intercepting runways an alert air traffic controller screaming at a delta plane on a collision course with a southwest plane. >> stop stop stop. as close calls go, this one was serious. two planes l

we'll also speak live with someone who knew the pastor clementa pinckney. stay tuned for cnn's live coverage. let's celebrate these moments... this woman... this cancer patient... christine... living her life... loving her family. moments made possible in part by the breakthrough science of advanced genomic testing. after christine exhausted the standard treatment options for her disease, doctors working with the center for advanced individual medicine at cancer treatment centers of america suggested advanced genomic testing. the test results revealed a finding that led to the use of a targeted therapy that was not considered for christine before. now, they're helping fight her cancer on another, deeper level... the genetic level. this is precision cancer treatment an approach to care that may help patients like christine enjoy the things that matter most in their lives while undergoing treatment. the evolution of cancer care is here. that's definitely something worth celebrating. learn more about precision cancer treatment at cancercenter.com. appointments

the reverend clementa pinckney had a beautiful voice. he had a big, big beautiful voice. >> the grandmother's prayer. lord, let me be free. if not me, my children, if not my children, my children's children. >> deferred gratification. >> so we have an obligation, a legacy to uphold. people who died so that we could have the right to vote. the people who sacrificed so that we could one day realize the dream of a black president, a black elected officials after segregation. we have an opportunity. i think it does our -- it does the memories a disservice if we do not vote. we don't have that -- we don't have that choice. we don't have that privilege to say our vote doesn't count because history tells us differently. >> i'm sorry, but if god gave you a voice like that, god meant for you to be in charge of something. and i was. pbs tonight released that footage of that interview they did with the reverend clementa pinckney for the series, "the african-americans." he was only 41 last night while murdered in his church leading a prayer service.

clementa pinckney speaking about him now. anytime someone says you know you got him when he was right and we knew him when he was wrong, that is someone that goes way back with you. we're going to continue to listen to the loved ones. we're going to take a break as the president of the united states has arrived here in charleston south carolina and he will speak and give the eulogy. we'll be back. and this new kibble blend is so healthy. thank you. no, nancy, thank you. kibbles 'n bits. because every bit matters. you total your brand new car. nobody's hurt,but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three-quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do, drive three-quarters of a car? now if you had a liberty mutual new car replacement, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. new car replacement is just one of the features that come standard with a base liberty mutual policy. and for drivers with accident

the -- clementa pinckney where his desk is draped with a black dra drape. the emanuel ame church has been burn and been banned for prez l preciv precivil laws. and p president made these statements moments ago. >> i have had to endure addressing the nation after tragedies like this. and we know that too many times someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun. now is the time for mourning and for healing, but let's be clear, at some point, we as a country, we will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other countries. it doesn't happen in other places with this kind of frequency. it is in our power to do something about it. >> the president also in his live address to the nation addressing the the one person we know confirmed as one of the nine dead, and it is the pastor of this church, one of the people killed in that the rampage was also a state senator, was also a vocal advocate for change in the charleston community. >> reporter: reverend clementa pinckney lost his live doing wha

flowers resting on the desk of clementa pinckney in the united states senate and he was the youngest black person ever elected to the legislature in the state of south carolina, and the church that pinckney led was steeped with historic significance as he explained in 2013. >> where you are is a very special place in charleston. and it is very special place, because this church, and this site this area has been tied to the history and life of african-americans since about t the early 1800s. this church was built in 1891. the congregation was formed in 1818 by the reverend morris brown who later became the second bishop of the african methodist episcopal church. and for you who know about the denomination we started in 1887 through our founder richard allen who left then st. georges episcopal church because they told him to pray after the regular members prayed, and that is how the nomination began in a fit of civil disobedience and a little issue with the theological fairness, if you will. >> and we are just getting this into cnn and we are have learnlearning the names of two more vi

we have found that anthony -- that clementa pinckney is related to our broadcast colley, armstrong williams come who share these memories. armstrong: you never heard anyone gossip about him or say a bad thing about him. charleston will never recover from this. they may heal, but there is something that died in all of them, myself included. leon: the shooting highlights disturbing data about the frequency of mass murders in america. this is reported by "boston globe," funding from 1982 until 2011 nearly 30 years, there were two mass shootings per year. from the 11 until 2013, there have been six roughly every six months. abc 7 is watching the developments of the tragedy and will bring live team coverage from the scene inch alston and the impact across the country and posting updates around the clock at wjla.com. moving now to closer to home, we are on storm watch after severe weather rolled through. the video from fairfax. also, lightning strikes, lots of them, and fallen trees. complete coverage of the damage coming up in a few moments, but for now let's get the outlook for friday from abc

clementa pinckney. jummy: the debate over the confederate flag is ramping up in the district. the dean of the national cathedral is calling for the removal of the stained glass walls that depict the confederate flags. he said when does honoring stonewall jackson and robert e. lee should be removed. we want to turn to the weather. abc 7 on stormwatch. we are tracking potential storms into the weekend. a flash flood watch is in effect through saturday night. doug hill is here with a first check of the forecast. doug hill: it looks like the biggest threat tomorrow for the heaviest rains will be to the west and northwest of washington, southern maryland not included under the flash flood watch. at the moment, cloudy. there is rain farther south and west in virginia. it is moving off to the east. today, a warm front will lift north. at the same time, this moisture will head our way. both will merge and set the stage for potentially heavy rain and heavy to his fair thunderstorms. where everything will set up remains in question. it looks like south of washington the best chance for

pinckney. >> clementa was a cousin but in some ways he was like a brother to us. as a young boy, my father took him under his wings, and my father worked with him and taught him. >> reporter: federal law enforcement officers are now investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime. survivors and the suspect's friends say he spewed hate. >> he said that he thought that the black -- the black in general as a race was bringing down the white race. ♪ >> reporter: but while roof is accused of trying to divide, there's only been unity after tragedy. and roof will be arraigned in just a few hours to hear the charges against him. meanwhile, the woman who spotted roof in his car in shelby north carolina she is being called a hero because she said once she saw that car and his unique haircut, she called her husband and then 911. t.j. and reena. >> kenneth, i want you to hit on that point some more. he said he did this to incite a race war. he wants to pit sides against each other but we're seeing, it seems, the exact opposite in charleston. >> that's right. it is the e

clementa pinckney deserves this. those not people deserve this. our state capital needs to be free of the flag. amy: how long have you been in office? >> five years. amy: have you ever had a desire to do this? had you ever spoken with clementa pinckney about his desire to have this removed? >> no was the the senator and i had not talked about the flag specifically. we did talk about other issues and we talked about judicial candidates and those types of conversations, aside from just friend the conversations. and he and i never talk specifically about the flag, no. i think other question was, had i thought about it before. as i have said to others, no and i apologize for that. i should have done it five years ago. that is what public officials are supposed to do. i did not do it and for that i apologize. amy: what was your reaction to seeing governor nikki haley say for the first time that it should come down? >> pure joy. i'm thankful for the governor's remarks and the man's, but to see those standing near her, you know, senator graham, senator s

i think we saw that that pastor reverend clementa pinckney had the week before been in the news around police accountability and may have been responding to the activism that was coming out of that church in recent days. these spaces i think, become easy targets. there's not a lot of security culture, it's welcoming as we see from the story, him welcomed in allowed to participate in the bible study or be present for 45 minutes to an hour. i think in some ways they are targeted. but going back to the fact that the black church is - has been a symbol of black fight for social justice for racial economy. >> and the a.m.e. church particularly. >> definitely. that's why essentially it became a target. >> scott roberts from the advancement project with us. thank you >>> next - the death toll. another attack under scores america's fight against gun violence, and the mission of a woman determined to record it >>> echos in the sanctuary. the scene of charleston's tragedy, and how this church long stood strong in the face of injustice. . >> communities like this have had to endure tragedies like

. >> reporter: earlier a horse drawn caisson carrying the body of clementa pinckney and inside the rotunda, they paid their final respects to the man who was gunned down. a makeshift drape blocked mourners view of the confederate

she said of everyone in the legislator she said clementa pinckney was the one most interested. i do want to ask you about the flag because so many people are asking for the flag that flies over my shoulder the confederate flag, to be taken down even if just for a day while he was lying in state. but that didn't happen. what do you think of the governor nikki haley's rational that she did not feel like she had authority to take it down for a day? >> well, alyson we all understand processes and understand that state governments operate entirely different. the alabama governor has the unilateral authority to remove the flag. it's quite different because the power really resides in the legislator. and there was a debate about this flag some time ago and it compromised this region to move elsewhere. but something awakened in the spirits and consciousness of people all over this country. i don't want to be a hypocrite because i have not been an advocate of the flag coming down. i felt that symbols don't hate individuals hate. individuals perpetrate crimes. but even for me as strong a

what a life clementa pinckney lived. what an example he set. what a model for his faith. and then to lose him at 41 slain in his sanctuary with eight wonderful members of his flock. each at different stages of life but bound together by a common commitment to god. cynthia hurd, susie jackson, ethel lance, depayne middleton-doctor tywanza sanders, daniel l. simmons sharonda singleton, myra thompson. good people. decent people. god-fearing people. [ applause ] people so full of life and so full of kindness people who ran the race who persevered people of great faith. to the families of the fallen the nation shares in your grief. our pain cuts that much deeper because it happened in a church. the church is and always has been the center of african-american life. a place to call our own in a too often hostile world. a sanctuary from so many hardships. over the course of

lead guide and protect us so we can remember clementa pinckney by serving you as he did. so when this life is over for each of us our legacy will say as it does for me and him that epitomizes his legacy if i can help somebody then my living will not be in vain. amen. >> amen. >> thank you so much. may you please be seated. >> i want to welcome our viewers in the united states and all around the world as we have been watching the celebration of the life of reverend clementa pinckney there in charleston south carolina. it is a capacity crowd. 5400 people there. and you just witnessed one of the most powerful moments in president obama's time in office. that speech as the city mourns nine lives lost nine days ago. my colleague don lemon is there in charleston along with van jones who once worked with the president there at the white house. don, it's tough to even follow the speech but the word i take away is grace. >> you know brooke this is quite possibly one of the most powerful and extraordinary moments that i have witnessed on television especially a speech coming from t

the victims, rev end clementa pinckney, sanders ethel lance, myra thompson rev end middleton-doctor. reverend daniel simmons sr., ms. jackson and cynthia hurd. it was the worst racial attack in decades. it brings back horrific

those who remember clementa pinckney say his faith shaped his life and guided his actions. on the floor of the statehouse in south carolina friends and colleagues remembered senator pinckney for his compassion and calm demeanor. >> no matter how much he was provoke provoked he always maintained that cool balanced response, that thoughtful dignified response to whatever was brought to him. an individual like that lives his faith outloud and this's what he did. >> he cared about whether people had health care he cared about whether people were paid a decent wage. he cared about whether people had a decent place to live. he loved people. senator pinckney was a man who lived life to the full estest honored life to the fullest, lived life to the greatest. he brought hope and inspiration like few people i have observed. >> south carolina state representative joseph neil was one of those colleagues you just saw paying tribute to clementa pinckney. representative neil is joining us now. representative once again, my deepest condolences. what will you remember most about your end? >