Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

President Barack Obama to deliver Charleston eulogy of murdered pastor Rev Clementa Pinckney

The church's pastor was an early supporter of Mr Obama, and the President will attend his funderal at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal

Andrew Buncombe
Tuesday 23 June 2015 06:20 BST
Comments
Clementa Pinckney, 41, the pastor killed in Wednesday’s shootings, was a rising star in South Carolina politics (EPA)
Clementa Pinckney, 41, the pastor killed in Wednesday’s shootings, was a rising star in South Carolina politics (EPA) (EPA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

President Barack Obama is to travel to Charleston to deliver the eulogy at of the pastor whose church was attacked last week and who was among the nine people who were killed.

Mr Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will fly to South Carolina to attend services for the funeral of Rev Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church where the shooting was carried out.

Reports said that Mr Obama and first lady Michelle Obama got to know the slain pastor, who also was state senator, during the 2008 presidential campaign. Mr Pinckney, a member of the state legislature, was an early supporter of Mr Obama.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in