BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–On Thursday morning Larry Grooms, a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate, appeared on Fox News to talk about the tragic loss of Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston.
“He was a good man. He was my colleague, my friend but he was also my brother in Christ,” Grooms told the Fox News’ hosts. “He understood that there were things that divided us politically, that divide us as a nation but he also understood what unites us as a people.”
Pinckney was one of nine people shot to death inside the church Wednesday night during bible study.
“He understands the value and meaning of prayer. He understands that we are a nation founded on Godly principles. He was a good man,” Grooms stressed.
Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen says 21-year-old Dylann Roof was in the church for about an hour before going on his shooting rampage. Roof’s friends say he went into the church with the hopes of starting a “second civil war” and that he reportedly didn’t “like black people.”
“These events are a reminder that evil is in this world. Evil is real–whether it touches us in some far away place or whether it touches us personally with somebody that we know, love and respect,” Grooms said on the air.
Pinckney, a Democratic member in the state senate, served with Grooms for the last 15 years. Despite their political differences, Grooms said they were the best of friends.
“Senator Pinckney had a booming voice. When he spoke, people listened. But it was a voice that also had compassion,” stated Grooms. “He loved God. He loved our state. He loved our nation, and he loved his wife and his two little wonderful daughters.”
Roof has been charged with nine counts of murder and one possession of a firearm. After shooting and killing members of the church, he took off and an intense manhunt began. He was later arrested during a traffic stop in Shelby, North Carolina after a driver recognized Roof’s car from the media.
When asked if Pinckney had any enemies, Grooms said “no more than the average politician.”
“We’re entering a new phase of politics, the politics of hate. They’re rearing their heads to new levels, new heights. There’s always some people who will express some sort of hatred toward a politician,” Grooms stated. “We need prayer. We need God. We need to return to our founding principles more today than at anytime in our nation’s history.”
Pinckney leaves behind a wife and two girls, 11 and 6 years old.
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