CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A decade removed from the racist shooting that killed nine people at a historic downtown Charleston church, the pain still reverberates locally.

On June 17, 2015, nine people were shot in cold blood while attending a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in the heart of downtown Charleston. The perpetrator sought to start a race war. What happened instead was racial reconciliation and a lesson on forgiveness.

In the weeks that followed was the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse on July 10, 2015. It was an ode to a new chapter in South Carolina, long the bastion of the Lost Cause Myth. And it was the moment that affirmed a fight the late State Sen. Clementa Pinckney, one of the nine victims, waged dating back to the early 2000s.

It was also then that President Barack Obama famously sang “Amazing Grace” during the eulogy of Rev. Pinckney. Since then, it has been widely acknowledged as one of the most powerful moments of his presidency.

Throughout June, town halls and remembrance events have taken place. The Emanuel Nine Day of Observance Ecumenical Service is scheduled at Mother Emanuel Church on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Wednesday, the church will host a Bible study at 5:30 p.m.

READ MORE | "Charleston leaders discuss racial justice and change ahead of Emanuel 9 anniversary"

The victims

• Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney
• Tywanza Sanders
• Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton
• Cynthia Graham Hurd
• Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor
• Ethel Lance
• Susie Jackson
• Myra Thompson
• Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr

Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, 41, was the pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church. He was a state Senator representing District 45 at the time of his death. He had been in office since 2000. At the time, he was the youngest African-American ever elected to the South Carolina Senate.

Tywanza Sanders, 26, was the youngest victim of the Mother Emanuel shooting. He was attending the Bible study with his mother, Felicia, that tragic night. An Allen University graduate, Sanders had a degree in Business Administration. He was working in Charleston as a barber. The Tywanza Sanders Education Scholarship Foundation was created by his family and friends in his honor.

Rev. Sharonda Singleton was an assistant pastor at Mother Emanuel AME Church. She was also a member of the Goose Creek High School family, working as a track and field coach. Rev. Singleton was a mother of three and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

Cynthia Graham Hurd, 54, was a self-proclaimed book lover and a Charleston County Public Library employee for 31 years. She was also a community activist. She was killed a mere four days before her 55th birthday. She graduated from the University of South Carolina and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. The St. Andrews Public Library, which she managed before her death, was renamed in her honor in 2016.

Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49, was a Hollywood native. She served as a reverend at several other local churches, including Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, before she started ministering at Mother Emanuel AME Church. She was the Charleston County Director of the Community Development Block Grant Program until her retirement in 2005. She was the mother of four girls.

Ethel Lance, 70, was a native Charlestonian and had attended Mother Emanuel AME Church for most of her life. She was at the church nearly seven days a week. She retired from the housekeeping staff at the Gaillard Auditorium after working there for over 30 years. Lance's family remembers her as caring, giving, encouraging, and a symbol of love and devotion to her family.

Susie Jackson, 87, was the eldest victim of the shooting. She was Ethel Lance's cousin and also a longtime member of Mother Emanuel AME Church, where she served as a trustee and usher as well as sang in the adult choir. Jackson's family described her as the matriarch of her family. They told News 4 they'll never forget the delicious Lowcountry breakfasts she would make. The 'Susie Jackson Freedom Memorial Garden' was built on Alexander Street in 2023.

Myra Thompson, 59, was a local educator. A mother and grandmother, Thompson's family said Mother Emanuel AME Church was "her home away from home." She reportedly loved being involved with the ministry and the people and children of the church. Thompson had 12 siblings and 50 nieces and nephews as well.

Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74, was a fourth-generation preacher. He was a retired Pastor at multiple Charleston churches. An Army veteran, Rev. Simmons Sr. served in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart. He graduated from Palmetto High School in Mullins, earned a Bachelor's Degree from Allen University, a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina, and a Master's of Divinity degree from Lutheran Seminary.

You can find our full coverage of the Emanuel Nine at the "Emanuel 9 Case" section of our website.