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  • 6 weeks ago
Four Years After The Tragic Mother Emanuel Massacre, The Families Share Their Stories Of Survival
Transcript
00:00Police say this suspect, a white man in his 20s, walked into the Bible study, sat down with the group, and opened fire.
00:08This child has killed nine innocent people.
00:16And y'all gonna put y'all gun away when y'all caught up with him?
00:19And so when the bullets came, started coming through the office, that's when I leaped in under the desk with her.
00:26Um, there was no running, there was no nothing at that point in time.
00:44First shock, you know, when I first heard the gunshots, um, I was actually working, um, at the desk.
00:55And, um, thought it was a generator or something exploding.
00:59I wasn't really sure what it was.
01:02Um, but I did hear Clemente.
01:06I found out later he was the first one that was shot.
01:09And I don't know, just something went over me.
01:11And I, um, locked the door, um, ran back through and grabbed, um, my youngest, Milana, and, um, snatched her up, locked the door, and shoved her under the desk.
01:25Um, you know, it was, it was shock and fear all at once, um, all mixed together.
01:34Um, I told my, told Milana that I was gonna make a run for it.
01:40I was gonna try to get help.
01:42Um, and I told her that regardless whatever happened, that I love her, and to tell her sister that I loved her, and, you know, do not, when I run out, the door's gonna close behind me, it's gonna lock.
01:57Um, don't you come from under that desk.
02:01And so, when the bullets came, started coming through the office, that's when I leaped in under the desk with her.
02:08Um, there was no running, there was no nothing at that point in time.
02:13When I saw that hallway, um, pools of blood was all over the place, um, all on the walls, all on the ceilings, so forth, I leaped over a big pool of blood, and, um, I got out of there.
02:26Um, and then we went to a hotel that was right across the street, and, um, people on the phone, um, it was chaos outside, sirens all over the place, and the girls did not break down.
02:45We was told that they was gonna bring the injured people over to the hospital, MUSC, in Roper.
02:53So, me and my husband stayed out there for, I don't know, probably three, four hours.
03:02Might have been longer.
03:05And, um, I just got to the point that I was tired, waiting around.
03:09So, they kept me in this room, there was a corner in there, some peaches in there, some of my family was in there, and they said, who you are?
03:21I said, I'm Nadine Coyer, I'm Ethel Lance, youngest child, and I said, well, we had to let you know that your mom was one of the, one who got killed.
03:41And, um, I started screaming and crying again, and I told them, I told them, I said, I need to see her.
03:53They said, I'm sorry, we can't let you see her, but I said, I need to hold my mama, I need to see my mama, hold my mama, one more time.
04:02They said, no, you can't see this person ever again.
04:08And I talked to her earlier that day.
04:14And that night, she was going away from me.
04:16The part that really, I wasn't satisfied with, is when they arrested him.
04:36You know, in the beginning, um, and, and I think, uh, different family members, um, some of them were, were, were not, um, forgiving.
04:46And, um, and I saw how the way they handled him, yeah, that's quite my nerve.
04:51Did they make it seem like they was arresting a king?
04:55This man has, I'm not saying man, this boy, this child, has killed nine innocent people.
05:07And y'all gonna put your gun away when y'all caught up with him?
05:11When I was at that barn here, it was like something came over me.
05:18I got to this point, I said, Lord, I need you.
05:21I need you now.
05:23And that's when all the words just flow right on out me.
05:27I forgave him.
05:28I forgave him.
05:29Clemente and I never raised our girls to hate.
05:34And I was like, I can't go around hating and then trying to teach my girls, you shouldn't hate.
05:41A lot of people didn't like it.
05:43But they have to understand what forgiveness means.
05:47It's not for that person who done something wrong to you.
05:51It's for yourself.
05:52The first time that I went back to the church was for a funeral.
05:57And it was very difficult because when I look in the pulpit, I see Clemente.
06:03I will never be able to go back to Emmanuel Church.
06:07It was scary for me.
06:11It was cold.
06:15It didn't felt the same.
06:17I cried the whole time I was there.
06:20Because I know when I was going to the church, I would always see her.
06:24She'd be the first person I see.
06:26But now that I'm going to the church, then she gets killed and I can't see her again.
06:29It was very painful for me.
06:40It's just human in the beginning to really, to question why did this happen to Clemente?
06:47Why did this happen to our family?
06:49But then you just kind of pray on it and just ask God to give you the strength and to continue to be with us.
07:02I have a family.
07:04I have a husband.
07:05I have a daughter.
07:06I have a grand.
07:08That's my future.
07:09I got to love on.
07:14Because I know if my mom had the chance to come back right now, I know she would tell me she's not coming back.
07:26She's in a better place.
07:28And I know she would tell me, you go ahead and do what you need to do.
07:33I'm okay.
07:35I think that's probably one of the biggest things.
07:38It's just for people to be able to get along and to understand each other's differences and to accept each other's differences.
07:51When I visit my mama grave, that part gave me some kind of relief.
07:59Because I want her to know that everybody will know who she is.
08:08I will let everybody know who she is.
08:11As long as I'm believing, they will know who she is.
08:29I'm sorry.
08:30OK, hope she might do a little while.
08:32If I have a perfect choice whatsoever, she'll tell them to you.
08:37Please.
08:39centres, centres, centres, centres, centres, centres...
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