Pastor Killed In Charleston Church Shooting Has Local Ties
By Syma Chowdhry
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Patricia Hamm fights back tears after learning her cousin Reverend Clementa Pinckney was killed at the Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.
"God just please don't let it be Clementa."
She says her cousin died doing something he lived for.
"He was in church... Having prayer..." said Hamm.
Patricia was born and raised in South Carolina, but has been living in Chester for several years.
She spent a lot of time babysitting Pinckney when he was young.
"He loved to read, he wasn't the type to always go out to play," she said.
Looking at a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. on her wall, Patricia has decided not to be angry with the shooter for targeting African Americans.
"I'm concerned he gets the right help, that he asks for forgiveness for what he has done and acknowledge that he did do wrong," she said.
In Society Hill flowers lie on the doorstep of Mother Bethel AME Church.
Philadelphia is where the entire African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded.
Pastor Mark Kelly Tyler knew Pinckney well and had plans to meet up with him in a few weeks.
"He was just an incredible person, had tremendous upside. A great politician but also a very good pastor," said Rev. Tyler.
They were working on a documentary about the how the AME church played a role in social justice in the Deep South.
Pinckney was in the film explaining how the church was torn down after slave uprisings in the 1800's.
"Right at the end of the Civil War the very first thing they did is built their building back, it's just an incredible story and this is such a great loss," said Rev. Tyler.
Pinckney leaves behind a wife, two daughters and a community that was inspired by him.
"He is going to be missed.. He really is," said Hamm.
